Sands of Vengeance
by VeiledElegance
Summary: Sequel to the Futile Repent - Takes place immediately after the Futile Repent. Haruka chases after Grimmjow back to Hueco Mundo when he doesn't return through the garganta. What she finds tests her past and her new found relationship. Rated M for strong language, violence, and lemony content. Grimmjow x OC
1. Preface

A year ago, none of this would have mattered to him. His blood coating the sandy surfaces of Hueco Mundo, painting the walls of the cave he was currently hiding in, would have hardly phased him. The thought of dying wouldn't have even made it to the forefront of his mind; only winning was important back then; surviving. Hell, he wouldn't have fled; he wouldn't be hiding like a coward. But this wasn't about being a coward. This was about saving his own skin for someone else; for her.

" _Please come back."_

"Ruka…" He rasped, blood getting caught at the back of his throat. "Shit." He groaned as his back slid along the rock wall behind him leaving a trail of dirt and blood. "I'm sorry, Kitten."

His head fell forward until his forehead pressed against his knees. He cradled his side where the deepest wound resided, pulsating painfully. Breathy sighs and intermittent gasping filled the silence around him. He was nothing more than a wounded animal here, biding his time. Biding it for what? For the inevitable death he was certain to face once that _creature_ found him? He knew from the moment he decided to come back that he would have to end him; that this would be life or death. There was no gray here. And right now, he was much closer to death than his enemy.

An angry, broken snarl erupted from his lips as he sent his fist into the ground beside him. A cloud of disheveled sand flew into the air, stinging his wounds and adding to his suffering. It didn't matter. He deserved all of this. If there was anything he learned from his time with her, it was that he fucking deserved every bit of this.

But she didn't.

"Shit!" His head fell back against the wall, the only support for his exhausted body. Large drops of sweat dripped down his brow until they landed on the thirsty ground. His hair was caked with dried blood and sweat, the stickiness making him itch. He just needed some time to recover and heal. Then he would figure out a way to end that son of a bitch and find a way back to the World of the Living. He must have missed the portal by now. It took him much longer than expected to find who he had been looking for.

An image flashed to the forefront of his mind. It was an image of her standing and staring at the large black garganta that was supposed to bring him back. He cursed to himself again as something so simple evoked such a painful crushing in his chest. He had guessed that some time away from her would numb the nagging emotions she plagued him with. He was wrong. They only became worse. Much worse.

"I ain't leaving you behind, Ruka. I promise I'll get the fuck out of here and back to you." His free hand slid along the ground, scooping up a pile of sand. He stared at it, studying each grain like they each held their own secret. "But I can't come back yet. I can't until I finally end him." With the little strength he had left, he crushed the sand and evaporated it out of existence.

The rasping grew quieter and his muscles relaxed. Exhaustion pulled at him and soon he let the darkness drag him into a much needed sleep.

*/ _Hi all! So finally got a good enough chunk done with this to be able to post. For any newcomers, please note that this is a sequel to the Futile Repent, so you may be a bit lost if you jump right into this. This story is rated M for strong language, violence, tragic situations, and lemony content. You've been warned. With all that said, I'm currently looking at a bi-weekly update schedule as life has become insanely crazy and left me with very little time to write. So, I apologize in advance for any delays or extended breaks between chapters. I'm going to try my best to keep a regular update schedule as I did with the original. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy! */_


	2. Chapter 1

She never imagined she'd be back here. No. It wasn't only that she didn't imagine it. She would have vehemently refused even the slightest inclination of ever coming back to this place. Yet here she was, ankle deep in frozen sands while scanning the horizon for Las Noches.

"Why are we going back to Las Noches?" She shouted over the wind to the woman leading her. Bright green hair made her a beacon of color in the infinite dullness around them.

"There is something there that was left behind by Aizen that will help us track Grimm-Grimm." She replied.

Haruka flinched at the sound of Grimmjow's pet name. As hilarious as it would have been any other time, she couldn't help but wonder what the hell warranted such a familiarity. "He didn't say anything to you when he got here six months ago?"

Nel turned her head slightly, regarding the Shinigami carefully. "Like I already told you, he stormed in, went to his room, and then left again. I tried to talk to him, but he was colder than usual." She shrugged before turning ahead again. "Why, what did he tell you?" Her voice was playful and teasing.

"That he had some business here he had to take care of." She returned, careful not to give too much detail. While Ichigo had appeared friendly with her, she still had no idea who this Arrancar was.

An amused chuckle reached her despite the howl of the wind. "What's so funny?" She scowled at the beauty in front of her.

"Of the three of us, he was the last one I'd expect to do something so foolish." The arrogance in her tone caused Haruka to shift uncomfortably.

"Foolish?"

"Falling in love with a Shinigami."

Haruka's cheeks flushed instantly as her voice stammered. "He's not in love with me! Why would you say something like that!?"

"Well you love him, don't you?" She turned, her brow quirked curiously as she examined the violet haired woman. "Why else would you come to a place like this for a beast like him?"

"He's not a beast." Haruka's surprised look quickly deteriorated into a glare. "And I do care about him. That's why I'm here. I never knew the man to lie so the fact that he didn't come back tells me something or someone is stopping him." A thought occurred to her then. _Someone_ might be stopping him. Someone like a powerful Arrancar or two.

Her eyes locked onto Nel skeptically. If anyone existed in Hueco Mundo strong enough to hinder Grimmjow, it would be an ex-Espada. Now she wondered if she had just gotten herself into a heap of trouble. But to know for sure, she would have to get into Las Noches and that would require her to continue to follow Nel.

"You care about him, but you don't love him?" Nel continued to tease.

"My relationship with Grimmjow is none of your business." Haruka snapped.

"It's dangerous, you know, to fall for a broken soul." She replied, her voice going sad. "We aren't like you. Our suffering will haunt us for an eternity. That's why we belong here. Just because Aizen made us more like you, doesn't fix that."

"Well if I can ease that suffering, even a little, then it will be worth any struggle I went through to get here." Haruka declared quietly.

"Your righteousness is admirable. Foolish, but still admirable." A small, surprised smile pulled at Nel's lips.

"It's not righteousness. It's called compassion and it's something you Hollows forgot about long ago. Hopefully with the return of your humanity, you can regain some of your empathy." Haruka sneered as she stormed passed her and in the direction of Las Noches. The buildings were now visible on the horizon. While the image brought forth a sensation of dread, the obvious devastation to Aizen's old stomping ground eased some of her anxiety and made it easier for her to remember that he was no longer there.

They continued moving, never seeming to get any closer to the large structures in the distance. She had forgotten how endless all of this was. It felt like hours were dragging by, her feet growing tired and sore. It was getting harder and harder to push away the memories that lived here.

" _Why here, Aizen-sama?" She asked, perfectly ignorant._

" _This is the only place where we can safely continue our practices. If you wish to heal Hamasaki-san, then we must do so in a place where our methods will not be questioned." He explained while leading his group of loyal followers to the palace he had recently claimed._

" _I wish Soul Society would understand…" She trailed off, her eyes scanning the distant horizon, observing the chaos of warring Hollows._

" _I know." He affirmed. "Perhaps one day we will help them see."_

" _Thank you, Aizen-sama, for not giving up on him." She said._

 _He smiled, warm and inviting, like he had so many times before; pleased at her utter obedience. "It is you, Haruka-chan, who has not given up on me."_

"Hey! Are you paying attention?" A high pitched tone dragged Haruka out of her memory. She shook her head in an attempt to wipe away the visual. Her hand pressed against her face, shielding her eyes from the past.

"Yea." She managed to grunt out the word, her voice strained with emotion.

"You're going the wrong way. It's this way to the entrance." Nel repeated as she pointed off to the other side. It was a side entrance into the massive kingdom, one that only residents of Las Noches would know about. It was one that she was purposely trying to forget about.

"Right. I forgot." She lied.

"How long has it been since you've been here?" Nel questioned.

"Not long enough." Haruka grumbled.

"You came with Aizen?" She continued to prod.

Haruka sighed discreetly, not wanting to open old wounds. "Yes." She glanced at the woman, who looked oddly childish in her demeanor and constant questioning. Before Nel had a chance to continue her interrogation, Haruka turned the tables. "How long have you known Grimmjow?"

Nel tilted her head back nonchalantly, digging to the back of her mind for the memories. "Since Aizen brought him to Las Noches, but we disregarded each other. It wasn't until Aizen was defeated and this place was left to the Espada remaining did we communicate. Halibel took the reigns, though. Grimm-Grimm was focused on training and kept to himself mostly. He was usually in a bad mood."

"That's unsurprising." She smirked, suddenly feeling a vast emptiness at picturing him in his typical uncaring way.

Nel regarded her closely, watching her reaction. "You miss him."

Startled, Haruka looked up at her. "Yea."

"Me too. He was fun to play hide and seek with." She smiled wide as Haruka's smirk distorted into a frown.

"Are you close to him?" She couldn't help herself, the jealousy pulling the words from the back of her throat.

"Maybe." She drew out playfully. "Would it upset you if we were?"

Haruka turned away, burying her annoyance and the uncomfortable sensations twisting her stomach before shrugging nonchalantly, "no."

Nel's playful enthusiasm dimmed at the half-hearted response and she continued alongside the purple-haired Shinigami.

"And what about Ichigo? You seem close to him." Haruka continued to prod.

"He saved my life. How much closer can you get to a person?" Her voice had turned sullen.

Haruka stilled in her movements as Nel continued to walk. When she noticed Haruka was no longer following she stopped and turned, a questioning look lifting her brow. "Grimmjow saved mine." She stated. "And I think I might have saved his as well."

"There is value in that, especially from someone like Grimm-Grimm. He wouldn't bat an eyelash for me even if I was fighting for my last breath. The fact he did that for you says a lot." She remarked. Haruka swore she saw a hint of envy in the set of her stare, but perhaps she was only projecting.

"All the more reason for me to find him." She stated concretely before moving again, Nel taking a spot at her side.

Eventually, they arrived at the hidden entrance tucked between jagged stone and overhanging cliffs. The entry was ominous at best, just as she had remembered. "Are there still Arrancars living here?" She asked as they entered.

"Yea, but they won't bother us. Halibel keeps them in line." Nel replied.

The place was as she remembered, a labyrinth of sorts; one that she hadn't taken enough time to memorize, but her guide was well acquainted enough with this place to lead them through several hidden passageways to cut the journey in half. It was once they were in the main hall that everything came back with a vengeance.

 _She watched in awe as Aizen sliced down another group of Hollows effortlessly. It made her shamefully aware of her lack of ability, but she wasn't here to cut down Hollows in a foreign land. She was here to heal the hearts of infected Shinigami._

" _Welcome to your new home." Aizen announced as he moved up the long staircase. At the very top stood a broken throne that was once the seat of a very old Vasto Lorde. Aizen slid his hand along the armrest just before taking a seat in his new throne. "I am now god of this realm."_

 _The statement had taken Haruka off guard. She never knew Aizen to be arrogant enough to stake such a claim._

" _Now bow to your new god."_

" _Aizen-sama will bring us justice." Tosen was the first to lower his head, followed quickly by the slippery Gin Ichimaru._

" _My, my, you better listen to your new god, Haruka-chan." Gin purred from beside her. Apprehension and fear suddenly overwhelmed her as her gaze shifted back to Aizen who had grown especially cold and calculating._

" _Is there something wrong, Haruka-chan?" Aizen asked, a dangerous undertone carrying his words._

" _N-no, Aizen-sama." She replied before quickly falling to her knees and bowing deeply. "I will follow you until my death, Aizen-sama. For everything you've done for Kenji, it's the least I can do."_

 _A smile tugged at his lips as he looked down upon her. "I'm so very glad to hear it, Haruka-chan."_

"Hey, quit zoning out!" Nel demanded as she grasped Haruka's arm. Haruka looked at her dumbfounded, as if she had just traveled through time to this battered throne room with this rowdy Arrancar.

"Nel-sama!" A new voice joined them, coming from a side hallway. "Oh, Nel-sama! I'm going to find you!"

"Eek! It's Pesche! Come on, we have to hide!" Nel exclaimed while dragging Haruka towards another door.

"What, who's Pesche?" Haruka sprinted with Nel through the door and into the darkened room.

"Shhh." She hushed her while pressing her palm to her lips.

"I know you're here somewhere, Nel-sama!" Haruka held her breath as they heard the muffled call of Pesche through the door. As his footsteps started trailing off, she sighed with a bit of relief.

It was then she noticed the obnoxiously loud breathing in her ear. "Do you have to breath so loudly?" She whispered harshly.

"Sorry," was the response she got, but it wasn't Nel's voice she heard. Haruka and Nel turned their heads slowly, the darkness making it nearly impossible to see, but it was very obvious that someone else was in the room with them. "Isn't this a great hiding spot, Nel-sama?" The voice asked as a creepy large hand thrusted forward between them.

The startled shriek that came from Haruka's lips erupted throughout the palace, echoing through the hallways. An equally loud shout was added to that from the intruder. Nel covered her ears while bursting out into laughter. "Dondochakka, you found us!" She giggled.

Suddenly the door swung open, revealing a skinny Hollow with unruly blonde hair and a mask that encompassed his face. "Why is it you always win this game, Dondochakka!?" He whined.

"Game? You were playing a game!?" Haruka shrieked at the three as she pushed her way out of the cramped closet. Nel followed casually while Dondochakka rolled out in a heap.

"We always play hide and seek. It's Nel-sama's favorite game!" Dondochakka announced.

Haruka grimaced, her patience for these Arrancars waning. "Are you going to help me or not? Because right now I'm just about ready to go find Grimmjow myself."

"Grimmjow? What's a Shinigami like you got to do with Grimmjow?" Yet another newcomer joined, no doubt looking for the source of the hair raising scream.

Haruka twisted around, ready to shoot her glare at the next nuisance. She stopped suddenly, shock marring her features as she recognized the tall blonde. Her face was covered with the elongated neck of her shirt and her form was set in that typical uncaring, yet intimidating, posture. But what frightened Haruka more than all that, was her all encompassing reiatsu. It was powerful, more so than Grimmjow's, and she was showing it off on purpose. She was trying to threaten Haruka.

She tilted her head slightly, curiously observing the Shinigami intruder. "Well? Are you going to answer me or should I just cut you down now?"

Haruka shifted back, taking a defensive stance instantly. She remembered Halibel, an all imposing force that stood by Aizen's side. She knew from Grimmjow that the 3rd ranked Espada had survived, though she was not privy to the circumstances surrounding it, or her obvious new position as leader of Hueco Mundo. "I'm looking for Grimmjow." She said simply.

"I am well aware. My question was why?" Halibel stated, noting the girl's nervous disposition.

"She's Grimm-Grimm's girlfriend." Nel purred from beside Haruka. "She misses him so she came to Hueco Mundo to find him."

Amusement flitted across Halibel's face for a breath of a second. "Girlfriend? Grimmjow?"

Nel giggled wildly as Haruka's face turned tomato red. "I don't see what's so funny about this." Haruka sneered.

"Perhaps because you don't know him as we do." Halibel countered.

"No, I probably don't. But you also don't know him as I do. Our relationship is no one's business but ours. So, are you going to help me or not?" Haruka said firmly, steadying her shake and straightening her posture.

Halibel crossed her arms and contained her massive reiatsu while looking up and down Haruka. She had heart, and for that she had to give her some credit. "Follow me." She turned and started walking towards a side hallway.

Haruka hesitated, surprised by the sudden change in attitude. "Come on, Ruki!" Nel laughed as she skipped towards Halibel.

"Ruki? It's Ruka! Gah, I mean Haruka!" She stuttered out before sprinting towards the two ex-Espada and her only means to finding Grimmjow.

The place was as big as she remembered, with long pointless hallways and countless rooms. She had followed Halibel's leisurely pace for what seemed like hours, navigating the in's and out's of the palace she had wished she had forgotten, until they finally arrived at what looked like some sort of control center. "I've never been here before." She mentioned.

Halibel looked at her curiously before turning back towards the monitors on the walls. "This was one of Aizen's control rooms. He would monitor everything that went on from Seireitei to the World of the Living to right here in Las Noches. He used special transponders to track our locations and special cameras to watch us and virtually everyone he found of use. Most of the cameras are useless now, being destroyed in the war, but the transponders still work." She explained as she pressed a few buttons on the control panel. "I failed to mention any of this to Grimmjow as I thought it would be important to keep track of his antics. He tends to cause chaos wherever he goes." She mentioned idly while a small device raised out of the center console. She grabbed it and observed the tiny blinking lights.

"So you knew he was in the World of the Living?" She questioned.

"Yes, but I also knew he was in the care of Kisuke Urahara so I didn't pay much attention to whatever it was he was doing there. My concern is for Hueco Mundo and ensuring another war does not break out to destroy the very little we have left." She explained as she held out the device to Haruka. "This will take you to where he is. It won't tell you much more than that."

"That's all I need." Haruka took the small blinking tracker and looked up at Halibel. "Thank you."

"I doubt you'll be thanking me once you find him." She mentioned idly. "I've been sensing bursts of his reiatsu for months. I thought he was training again, but now that you're here looking for him…" She trailed off as Haruka's face paled. "Just don't be surprised when you end up dead."

"Jeez, Halibel-sama! Do you have to be so blunt?" Nel whined. "It will be ok, Ruki. We will find Grimm-Grimm and then we can all play hide and seek together! It will be fun!"

Halibel rolled her eyes before moving towards the exit, pausing for a moment, "Nel, you should show her to Grimmjow's quarters so she can rest before venturing out into the desert."

"That isn't necessary. I need to find him now." Haruka insisted.

"It isn't wise to travel through the desert in a state of exhaustion. The Hollows will eat you alive out there. Grimmjow has lasted this long. What's one more day?" She asked and Haruka paused.

"Come on, Ruki-chan! I'll show you his room." Nel insisted and Haruka felt powerless. Who was she to argue with two ex-Espada that could easily crush her at a moment's notice? She was in over her head.

So without another word, she allowed Nel to drag her down what felt like a few hundred more hallways until they found a desolate little wing of the palace. The destruction here was evident with several doors being crushed open by fallen debris on the opposite side. There were burn marks and deep gashes in the walls. The entire place looked ready to collapse. "Grimmjow stays here?"

"He likes being alone so he chose the area that would bring the least amount of attention." Nel mentioned casually.

A thought occurred to her then. "Pesche and Dondochakka, they are your fraccion aren't they?"

Nel turned to her and nodded. "They are more than just my fraccion. They are my family." She smiled, warmth emanating from her face. If it was one thing these Hollows did gain, it was a sense of kinship among their kind.

"And does Grimmjow have a fraccion?" She asked innocently.

Nel paused, taking time to think about her response. "I don't know too much about it as I was no longer in Las Noches when it happened, but Halibel told me he let his entire fraccion die."

Haruka stared in disbelief as Nel looked away. "He let them die?"

"In the beginning of the war, he went to the World of the Living with them and challenged the Shinigami there against Aizen's orders. They all died. As punishment, his arm was cut off and he was stripped of his rank." She explained.

A whisper of a memory came back to her in that moment. "I remember hearing gossip about the fearsome sexta Espada losing his arm and rank. Honestly, I hardly cared back then. We were all kept separated. After Aizen gave up on trying to turn Shinigami into Hollows, my days were spent staring at walls and healing injuries of low-ranked Arrancars." She shifted her gaze down the hallway, getting lost in a myriad of bad memories. "I left shortly after that time, anyway."

Nel glanced at her one last time before moving once again. "Come on, it's down here." She stopped at the last door on the left, jiggling the handle until it clicked. "He never did fix the lock." She smirked and then pushed open the door.

Inside was dark and cold. Nel fumbled around until she found a single candle situated on a rickety old desk. She lit it and then turned to Haruka who had halted at the door. "You can come in. I promise there are no monsters in here." She chuckled, earning a glare from her temporary companion. "Make yourself at home. I'll go find something for you to eat. Then after we've gotten some rest, we can set out to start our search."

Haruka stepped inside, trying to comprehend all she was learning about her mysterious lover. " _He really stayed here?"_ Her apartment was a luxurious pad in comparison to this. As uninviting as it was, there was one thing that comforted her immensely. Tiny whispers of his reishi were all over this room, the highest concentration being on his pile of pillows and blankets he clearly had made his bed out of. It had been so long since she last felt it, she had almost forgotten what it was like to be all wrapped up in him.

She crawled into the pile of bedding, reveling in the feel of his reishi buzzing along her skin. It was as if it clung to her, familiar with her own reishi. She sighed deeply while nuzzling into a pillow, actually relaxing for the first time since coming here. " _You are wasting your time."_ A familiar pessimistic tone echoed in her mind.

"I have little choice. I'm going to need help finding him. Halibel is right. He will be fine for one more day."She mumbled on a tired voice.

" _You misunderstand me."_

"Ah, right; because you don't agree with anything that I'm doing here." Haruka rolled her eyes while pulling her zanpakuto free and placing it on a pillow near her head.

" _He will not be happy to see you here."_

"Well I guess that's just too bad for him." Haruka sputtered while stretching tired limbs.

" _You will regret coming here."_

"It wouldn't be the first time, Dairokkan." She teased. "You should be a little more appreciative of the man who freed you. He needs us. I won't abandon him."

Silence followed. It was almost enough for her to fall into a blissful slumber if at that moment an obnoxiously loud Arrancar didn't make her presence known.

"Ruki-chan! I brought you some spirit food! The best we have! Eat up!" Nel demanded as she marched over to Haruka's new slumbering grounds.

"Thanks, Neliel-sama." She replied politely.

"Call me Nel! No need to be so formal." she said as she sat beside her, handing her what Haruka could only guess was a fruit.

"Nel." She said awkwardly before sinking her teeth into the sweet, juicy morsel. Silence followed for several moments before Haruka felt the urge to break it. "So what do you think he's doing out there?"

Nel glanced at her and shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Well what do you Hollows do around here?" She asked, slightly annoyed.

"We train, we play, we eat, we kill each other. Really not so different from you." She mentioned.

Haruka rolled her eyes before taking another hefty bite of fruit and then sighed. Nel eyed Haruka as she finished the last of her snack and collapsed back into the mass of bedding. "Thanks, Nel." She mentioned as her eyes slid closed. "For helping me find him."

Nel pushed herself to a stand. "You're welcome. See you in a few hours."

Haruka gripped her zanpakuto tightly, allowing herself to fall into a restless doze as she heard the door click shut.


	3. Chapter 2

/* _Hi all! Just dropping in to say thanks for your patience. As of right now, I'll be continuing the bi-weekly update schedule. Without further delay, here is chapter 2! Enjoy! */_

* * *

Chapter 2 -

" _Ruka…"_

 _She stirred from her slumber, the lumpy straw bedding causing her muscles to ache and her skin to itch incessantly. The other Shinigami in the room were still lost to sweet oblivion, gently snoring and tossing and turning. By now, they all knew it was a mistake coming here. It was a mistake to follow him._

" _Ruka…"_

 _She heard it again, a voice so familiar it left a longing in the pit of her stomach. Who would call her Ruka? No one ever called her that._

 _With bare, chapped feet, she silently moved to the doorway, pushing it open quietly; surprised to find it unlocked. Her breath stopped as she listened for any stirring among her brethren. When there was nothing more than a pained groan, she continued, gripping her zanpakuto tight._

 _The cold stone floor relieved some of the burning ache in her heels. Hueco Mundo always felt so cold despite being a lifeless desert stuck in the night and the palace was no exception to it. Each step forward pulled at her curiosity more. The voice that seemed to be calling her grew louder, begging her. She knew where it was taking her._

 _She had grown knowledgeable of the hallways simply by marking the stone walls as she passed. She knew she was heading straight for the room of god himself. No, she would refuse to acknowledge him as anything more than a devil, a monster in disguise. She would not fall for his tricks any longer. She knew how to see through his methods._

 _When her feet finally took her to stand before the towering throne above, it wasn't as she knew it. The back was cracked and crumbling, the armrest chipped, and the seat of it malformed. This wasn't Aizen's throne._

" _Ruka." She twisted around while unsheathing her weapon, anxiety running through her entire body. Her eyes flickered as they landed on the tall unruly Arrancar that felt so unbelievably familiar._

" _I know you." She stated, her fingers trembling around the hilt. He stood strong and imposing, his reiatsu a chaotic storm that surrounded him. His unkempt blue hair only added to his menacing appearance as it wavered in the air, the sheer power of his reiatsu actually causing the air to move._

" _You shouldn't have come here." He stated and instantly he approached her, his hand impaling through her chest. She flinched, her eyes closing as she expected to feel the blow. However, the pain never came._

 _Her eyes slid open and she took several steps back. Her face distorted in shocked horror as she watched another woman gasp out her last few breaths, her blood pouring down the arm of this familiar man. Then, without a single care, he tossed her limp body to the floor. It landed with a cold thud as the remaining of her lifeforce trickled onto the stone. The man then tilted his head towards Haruka, his eyes set in a narrow gaze._

" _I told you not to come here." He stated on a dangerous tone._

" _Who are you?" She shouted, her voice ragged. She glanced down at the dead woman, a hint of familiarity tickling the back of her mind. Did she know her?_

" _Ruka…"_

" _Stop calling me that!" She yelled as her eyes lifted again to meet his intense sapphire stare; and then the world shifted. The room started spinning, the stone becoming a blur, the throne evaporating from existence, and the lifeless body disintegrating. The only thing remaining constant was the intimidating figure standing before her, blood soaked and chaotic._

" _Ruka…"_

"Ruuuuuki…" The whispers of a familiar voice tugged at her consciousness. "Oh, Ruuuki."

Her grip tightened around Dairokkan as her eyes fluttered open. She shot up, the point of her sword at Nel's throat. Nel smirked while tilting her head. "I'm all for a game of sword tag, but I really think we should get going." Nel pressed into the top of the blade, pushing it to the floor.

Haruka attempted to get her breathing under control as her dream slowly started to drift in the background. " _The sight is not a dream."_ Haruka's eyes shifted angrily to her shining blade.

" _It was a dream. I do not have the Sight. No one did."_ She thought as she slid her zanpakuto back into its sheath.

" _Refusing your own abilities is destructive."_ Her weapon declared, the whisper nearly deafening her.

"Let's go, Nel." She said as she pushed herself to a stand, attempting to focus on the reason she was here. She gripped the small transponder in the palm of her hand while brushing the dust and sand from her clothing.

"Okay!" She cheered while moving to a stand. "Let's go find Grimm-Grimm!"

"Noooo! Nel-sama! Why must you leave us here again!?" Two simultaneous voiced filled the room accompanied by two opposite frames blocking the doorway, effectively getting stuck in place.

"I'll be back soon." She soothed while cupping each of their faces and then nudging them free. "I promise."

Haruka watched the interaction with patience, a heavy longing settling in her bones. "We will miss you, Nel-sama!" They cried; the tears causing puddles to form on the floor.

"Now now, don't cry! Pesche, Dondochakka! I'll bring back Grimm-Grimm and then we can all play eternal tag together! Okay?" She urged with a smile.

The two nodded while hugging one another, their exaggerated grief a bit over the top but still palpable. "Good. Come on, Ruki."

Haruka grimaced before swallowing her response and following the green-haired Arrancar out of the palace. The sands had hardly changed from the day prior. It was an endless field of death and war under a moon filled sky. Not even Halibel's influence changed that.

Neliel paused upon a mound of sand, her hair fluttering in the wind and her eyes trained into the distance. She held out her hand, motioning for Haruka. "Hand me the transponder."

"What? No!" Haruka refuted as her grip on the device tightened.

"I know how to use it better than you." She said bluntly while turning her gaze to Haruka.

Haruka glared before reluctantly handing over the transponder. Nel squeezed the device in her hand momentarily before looking out beyond the sands once more. "This way." She announced before disappearing in a flash of sonido.

Haruka shifted in a panic to shunpo, struggling to keep up with Nel. She pushed with everything she had to keep up with the slender figure ahead of her, who was running straight into a group of warring Hollows. "Nel! Watch out!" Haruka shouted. With a twitch of her wrist, Nel grabbed her sword and sliced through them like they were nothing but paper toys. Haruka didn't have time to process Nel's unprovoked attack, but she supposed it had always been like this in Hueco Mundo from the very first day she came. It was nothing but survival of the strongest here. She was going to have to prove she was just as strong.

Sand exploded into the air as the two travelled, the force of their movements acting like a wind storm. They continued like this for hours, until Las Noches was barely a speck in the distance and several large rock structures jutted out of the ground around them. Haruka's lungs were burning, the sand stinging her eyes and throat. Her legs, too, felt near the end of their usefulness. Just when she felt she couldn't go on any further, Nel stopped. Haruka barely caught herself in time, tripping over her own feet and catching herself on her knees.

Nel scanned the area, ignoring the violent gasps from her companion. "Why did you stop?" Haruka stuttered out.

"We are close." She stated plainly. Her posture straightened and her reiatsu flared. "But there is something else here."

Haruka stilled, awareness coming to life within her. "Something?"

"Wait here."

"Nel!" Haruka outstretched her arm in an attempt to stop her, but was unable to match her speed. She simply watched as Nel took off in a blast of sonido towards a large structure of stone quartz. "Great." She sputtered while pushing herself to a stand. It was then she noticed the complete and utter silence. Not even the sounds of fighting Hollows reached her here. A tinge of anxiety ran along her spine as her eyes scanned the area. Her breath caught as her purple gaze caught a subtle movement beneath the sands.

The next moments happened instantly. As soon as Dairokkan was slicing through the air, something horrid had emerged from below and tackled Haruka.

"Shit!" She cursed as the incoming enemy sliced into her arm. She tried to block with Dairokkan, but this _thing's_ maneuvers were unorthodox. She sent her foot up and into the monster's body, but it grabbed her ankle and twisted. A terrible cry tore from her throat as pain exploded from the broken bones. "Raito o keshimasu!" The dark cloud exploded from her zanpakuto and enveloped the creature, little bolts of purple electricity exploded from the ground around them.

When the dust finally settled, her enemy was revealed once more; ivory white with only a few black scuff marks. Otherwise, he was completely unharmed. "What the fuck are you?" She shouted, her voice unstable from the exhaustion.

Her enemy didn't respond. Instead it quirked it's head, it's featureless face pointed blankly at her. Then it charged again. Dread deformed her face as she scurried away from the incoming enemy on her back, her broken ankle screaming in pain as she went. A cloud formed in the air as her hands dug into sand, spraying it towards the white blur that was quickly approaching.

She swiped Dairokkan across her chest as one last futile effort to block the incoming strike. The deformity pinned her zanpakuto down on one side of her with a simple twitch of his limb while the opposite pointed limb was thrust toward her heart. Her eyes squeezed shut as she prepared for the inevitable stabbing pain to begin in her chest and bloom outward to every limb.

 _Is this really it?_

It wasn't the sound of a solid grip halting the incoming blow that had her eyes opening. It wasn't even the shadow blocking out the moon above her nor was it the sensation of cold sweat dripping onto her exposed skin. It was that reiatsu, powerful and absolutely enraged, that drew her violet gaze to an unruly mess of pale blue locks.

"Grimmjow?" Her voice was a whisper, filled with pure relief and absolute shock.

He didn't respond as he twisted the creature's arm with so much force, it ripped clean from its body. The mysterious being shrieked, the noise emanating from its reiatsu as it had no mouth to scream from. It twisted grotesquely on the ground, the desert lapping at its blood freverently. Haruka flinched, looking away as Grimmjow delivered the final blow to the creature's chest; his arm penetrating it effortlessly. Then, the being stilled.

He stood there, the wind toying with his hair and hakama. His eyes were pinned to the corpse now drenching the parched desert with lifeforce. "What are you doing here?" His voice sounded foreign to her, a dangerous undertone causing a tinge of fear to run up her spine. He was covered in dried blood and scabbing. There were numerous new scars as well, which told Haruka whatever enemy he had made was extremely dangerous.

"What happened to you?" Shock and concern marred her face as she attempted to push herself to a stand. She instantly remembered her broken ankle when she went to move towards him. A cry of agony echoed through the desert as her weight collapsed.

He did it without thinking, using sonido to catch her before she collided with the ground. Her hands twisted in his jacket violently as an attempt to ease the strain on her injuries. A shaky, painful sigh released from her lips. "Thank you." She whispered.

Grimmjow clenched his jaw as his hold tightened on her slightly. "You're a fucking idiot, you know that?" He ground out angrily as he began sprinting towards his temporary hide out.

A scowl broke out on her face. "Well you're a fucking asshole! Is that anyway to greet your girlfriend? How about, 'hi babe, it's been a while, how are you doing? Sorry I missed the garganta to the World of the Living and worried the ever living fuck out of you!'" She returned loudly.

"Will you shut the fuck up?" He snarled.

"Are you kidding me!?" She hurled a fist into his chest, her anger getting the better of her. "Put me down, asshole! I have to go find Nel."

He grasped her flailing fist, redirecting it effortlessly. "I already found her." He interjected. Before Haruka could voice a response, they were arriving at the mouth of a cave buried in a the large rock formation Nel had originally ran off to.

"I leave you alone for a second and this is what happens." Nel declared upon their entrance.

"It wasn't my fault." Haruka pouted as Grimmjow gently placed her against the wall. His face only deteriorated further into a scowl at this new annoyance.

"Heal your injuries. Nel is taking you back to the World of the Living." He announced as he stepped back, distancing himself from her.

"What, why?" She demanded.

"As if this doesn't explain it enough." He threw his hand through the air in her direction, pissed off and fed up.

"You look no better!" She argued. "You're covered in scabs, old blood, and scars. What the hell are you doing out here by yourself?"

"I think I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone while you work out your issues." Nel replied casually while making her way for the exit.

She was abruptly halted by Grimmjow's strong grip around her wrist with bruising ferocity. "You are not leaving without her."

"I won't go far, Grimm-Grimm. You need someone to keep watch, anyway." She smiled teasingly. Grimmjow released her, his lips lifting into a snarl and showing teeth.

"Answer me!" Haruka yelled, pulling his attention back to her. "Why are you so injured?"

He looked back at her as Nel finally left the cave. On the surface she was a raging ball of fury, but he could see beyond that. Her eyes held her absolute terror; the lines on her face were etched with worry; and none of it was concern for herself. It was all for him.

He looked away, finding a loose formation of rock, and sent his fist flying through it. All of this pissed him off and she was only making this more difficult. But worse than that, underneath all of his anger, there was a very real sensation of panic. The one person he was trying to protect from his past was now in the crosshairs of the worst possible type of person. A person with a desire for vengeance.

He barely picked up on the chant that she quickly expelled from her lips, the blue light running along her injured ankle just out of his line of sight. It wasn't until her soft fingers were tugging on his wrist did he finally pay attention.

"Please talk to me." She urged, her voice nearing desperation. His sapphire gaze slid to her softened stare. It ran up and down her bruised, bloody form and he felt that panic grow tenfold. " _So this is what Kurosaki felt when I was toying with his broad. Fucking karma."_

He leaned forward, his hand sliding around her midsection to pull her to him as his lips crashed desperately against hers. His tongue slid along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She complied, a quiet moan escaping between their lips. This kiss grew more needy, all tongue and teeth, as fists entangled in hair and clothing.

Eventually she had found enough sense to break free of the haze. The flats of her palms pressed against either side of his face, pushing enough to create a small amount of distance. "Grimmjow." His eyes slid shut as he pressed his forehead to hers, breathless. "Please just come back with me."

His eyes slid open again, painful blue orbs boring into her. "I can't."

"Why can't you? Whatever is here, whatever it is you feel you need to hunt can stay here. They won't find you in the World of the Living. Leave this place behind. It only continues to hurt you." She urged as she slid kido-covered hands over some of his fresh wounds.

He grasped her wrist, halting her healing. "Stop."

"No, I won't."

"He's going to sense your reishi on me and then he will really make you his target if he hasn't already. You need to go back." He backed away, regretting his temporary loss of control and strong desire to just hold her.

"I can't go back."

"Ruka…" His temper flared despite his best attempt at swallowing it.

"I can't go back because Urahara can't make another garganta for six months. I'm supposed to wait until then before I can return." She explained, causing him to freeze in place.

"Why the fuck did he let you through in the first place!?" He roared.

"I didn't give him a choice." She replied, feeling the need to protect Nel's involvement. She didn't know exactly what he was capable of when he was _this_ angry. It appeared he was barely clinging to his sanity as it was.

"You shouldn't have come." He ground out.

"You should have kept your promise." She returned, silencing him. "Who is this guy that you're fighting?"

"You don't need to know." He dismissed while storming towards the cave entrance, no doubt looking for Nel.

"Grimmjow!" She felt her temper flaring, but worse than that, she felt a horrible darkness fall over her at his obvious distrust. She rushed to him in a flicker of shunpo and grabbed his wrist with wretched determination. "I need to know what's going on here. It isn't just about you anymore. Obviously you came here to kill this guy to protect me, right? Well then I have a right to know who my enemy is."

"The only thing you need is a place to hide until I'm done here. Since you made the stupid decision to fling yourself into a garganta, you're going to have to hold up in my old quarters in Las Noches until I get back. Halibel and Nel should keep any stragglers away from you." He rationalized.

"I don't need you to protect me." She spat, her tone laced with angry venom. "I'll find my own way back."

Grimmjow snarled, the very last of his patience melting away. He rushed her, pinning her tiny frame against the wall. "You don't know what the fuck you've gotten yourself into! What the hell were you expecting from me? To come running up to you with open arms?"

"I was expecting you to come back through the portal. I was trusting you to come back." Her voice was cold and expressionless; her body limp against his imposing form.

"I told you I had shit to take care of here! You said you understood!" He continued to argue, his fingers digging into the stone beside her head. "I am not scraping your goddamn corpse off a Hueco Mundo desert to drop on Clogs' lap! I ain't fucking watching you die!"

Tears suddenly broke from her eyes, streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks. "I did understand and I waited. I waited for you to come back and you didn't. I trusted you to come back and I knew that you didn't because something was wrong. You don't have to do everything by yourself! I don't want to see you hurt like this. I don't want to watch you die either! I can't. I can't watch another person I love be taken away from me." She declared. Anger and sadness gnarled her features for a moment before realization overwhelmed her.

He looked equally shocked, backing himself away from her while trying to comprehend exactly what she just said. "What did you say?" He whispered.

"Nothing." She breathed as her body stilled, her emotions being pushed inside. "At least tell me his name."

Silence followed as he contemplated exactly where he wanted to go from here. Her words completely baffled him. " _Love? What the fuck, Ruka…"_ He slid his gaze along her nervous form. She knew she fucked up. That little word slipped from her lips and she knew exactly what kind of impact it could have. Love, after all, destroyed more than it created.

"Zev." He answered simply.

"And the thing that attacked me?" She continued, desperate to keep the conversation away from the inevitable topic. She couldn't deny, however, that a stinging sensation at his lack of acknowledgement had formed.

"One of his morphed Vasto Lordes. It was an extension of himself. You need to stay away from them at all costs." He replied as he took several steps away from her, his voice now calm.

"What is he?"

He glanced at her skeptically, contemplating how much he wanted to reveal to her. "An Espada. One of the first."

A look of surprise flitted across her face. Of course she wouldn't know which one. Aizen was good at hiding his experiments and his Espada from her by keeping her and the other Shinigami separated. Still, she felt frustrated at how little she knew of what went on right in front of her. Aizen kept her in the dark constantly and the fact that Grimmjow was attempting the same made her hackles rise.

"What's your history with him?" She attempted as he looked a little more controlled. His hands were pressed to his hips and his back was slouched, showing his exhaustion of this whole endeavor.

"No." He replied immediately.

"Why don't you trust me?" She countered.

"Don't fucking start this shit, Ruka."

"I told you about my past. I never hid anything from you. Why can't you trust me with your's?"

"That was your choice. You didn't have to tell me shit. And I'm not getting into this with you. Once he's dead, it won't matter. 'Our pasts don't define us,' remember?" He replied bitterly.

"You claim you're doing this for me, yet you can't even tell me anything about why?"

"Just go back to Las Noches and wait for me." He ground out, desperately trying to contain his temper.

Her gaze slid into a glare before storming out of the cave. He followed, if only to confirm she was leaving with Nel and in the direction of Las Noches. "Nel!"

Green haired fluttered into his view, "Don't worry about it, Grimm-Grimm. I'll make sure she doesn't get her head lopped off." She smiled playfully as he grimaced.

"She does and you're dead."

"Uh huh." Nel replied on a bored tone.

"I can take care of myself." Haruka shouted back, insulted at being looked down upon once again.

Nel shot Grimmjow a sympathetic look before moving towards a fuming Haruka. Grimmjow watched as the two became small specs in the distance. Then she was gone. Her reishi was but a small echo that would soon fade into the rocks and sand. He waited several long minutes, until he could no longer feel the pulse of her energy, before crashing his bruised and battered fist into the solid rock beside him, an angry broken cry filling the remaining silence.


	4. Chapter 3

_/* Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favorites! And also for your continued patience as I know biweekly updates feel like forever. The good news is I'm making decent progress on this and should have it finished soon! Then the updates should come quicker. For now, enjoy Chapter 3! */_

Chapter 3 -

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Her companion asked for the tenth time.

"Once again, it's not what I want. It's what he wants." She sighed loudly in an attempt to convey her annoyance, but was blatantly disregarded as usual.

"Why do you have to do what he wants? Why not do what you want?"

Haruka felt a very profound headache coming on. "Because, Nel, sometimes life is about compromise and we all know what happens when Grimmjow doesn't get his way."

Nel pressed her pointer to her lips, her expression quizzical. "Grimm-Grimm tends to break things when he doesn't get his way."  
"Yea, so it's better this way. I probably won't be of much use anyway." She grumbled.

"You don't give yourself much credit." Nel pointed out. "Are you saying that because you truly do not believe in your own skills or is it because that's what he believes?"

Haruka shot a glare at Nel, refusing to answer her. She had no idea what Grimmjow thought of her abilities at this point. He believed in her enough to let her take on Satomi and Haru by herself, but this was a whole different scenario. Whatever this Espada was that he was fighting, it was strong enough to send him into hiding and that should be enough to have her running.

"Let's just get back. I don't want to be here when those things show-" She was cut off by Nel's toned arm crossing over her chest. She looked up from the sands and instantly paled. In front of them, a row of those faceless creatures had appeared and more were popping up from the sands around them.

Nel pressed into Haruka, directing her back the way they came. "Run back to Grimmjow. Don't stop running until you reach him." She urged on a whisper. "I'll take care of these guys."

"You can't take them all by yourself." Haruka urged.

"They're here for you." She insisted as the things started stalking towards them.

"How do you know?" Haruka could feel the tremble as her grip wrapped around the hilt of her zanpakuto. Before she could get an answer, a deathly cold hand tangled around her ankle from the sands below. Haruka let out a frozen shriek while slicing at the hand. Dairokkan was just barely able to graze the hardened flesh, but it was enough for the creature to let her go.

"Run, Haruka!" Nel screamed desperately as she blocked the incoming monsters that were very obviously going for the purple-haired Shinigami.

She didn't waste anymore time. Using shunpo, she charged through the sands and back the way they came. She saw in horror as the Vasto Lordes continued to swarm her; an infinite army all dedicated to bringing her in. Then someone different appeared directly in front of her, hovering several inches above the ground. He was more human-like than any of the other creatures in Hueco Mundo, with dirty blonde hair, pointed facial features and a set of piercing dark eyes.

She hesitated, stopping within a few feet of him. "Good afternoon. My name is Zev and I'm going to need you to come with me."  
Her face completely deteriorated as Zev's reiatsu exploded around him, his minions screeching in agony as they responded to their master's call.

She had no other choice now. "Void, Dairokkan."

* * *

Instantly he was filled with absolute dread. It was an automatic reaction upon sensing the frantic pulse of her released form. He vanished immediately, amplifying his sonido with as much of his reiatsu as he could. The sands exploded in waves as he went, flying into the air behind him.

"Stay alive, Ruka." He chanted in his head as he went, feeling her aura dim until it finally vanished. "Fuck!" He pushed himself harder, faster, until his legs went numb and his lungs burned. He finally arrived. A few corpses were littered around Nel's collapsed body, but Haruka wasn't anywhere.

"Nel!" He shouted angrily as he kicked his foot into her side, forcing her on her back. Her body was mangled, but she was still alive. "Nel, wake the fuck up!" He snarled.

She quivered, her face straining with pain as she woke. Slowly her eyelids lifted until her soft jade stare appeared. "Ruki." She gasped while trying to push herself up. "He took her."

"Where?" He demanded while grabbing her by the collar of her shirt. She cried out painfully. "Fucking where!?"

"Into the sands." She pointed to where she last saw the violet Shinigami, a small mound of sand had been disturbed and pointed to where they had gone.

"Fuck!" He roared while tossing her back to the ground. "I asked you for one fucking thing!"

"He's not going to kill her yet." Nel rationalized. "He's doing this to torture you. If you go rushing to her, then you won't stand a chance. We need Halibel's help for this."

"Fuck her, this is my fucking fight!" Grimmjow declared.

"It's not about who's fight it is anymore. Did you already forget who's life is at risk?" She prodded. "Are you going to throw her away for your pride? Like you did with your fraccion?" Grimmjow's reiatsu exploded, his anger overwhelming him and going straight for her throat. "He's too strong. I don't know how he managed to grow so powerful out here, but it's beyond what any of us has accomplished. At least with Halibel we will have a chance to save her."

He paused, clenched teeth inches from her face. "You want me to grovel at that bitch's feet?"

"You want to protect her, right? Well you've failed so far. This might be the time to try and be a little better at it."

"Fuck you. I'll get her back myself. I don't need you or Halibel!" He spat, completely volatile. Much to her chagrin, she watched as he raced towards the mound of sand and burst through it, chasing after the one light he had left.

* * *

Haruka groaned as she adjusted herself to the tight cell. She had suffered a fairly large gash to her side and another to her leg. Her injuries throbbed as she moved, trying to find a comfortable position.

"You may heal your injuries. I have not restricted the use of your kido." A familiar voice said from the other side of the room. Haruka looked up, her startled expression scanning the darkness for any signs of movement. "I am not going to hurt you. You understand that I had to defend myself when you came at me."

"What do you want with me?" She asked while trying to keep the shaky distortion out of her voice.

"Has he told you who I am?" He asked as he lit a candle settled on a table beside him. The dim light allowed for her to finally see him. Yellows and oranges danced across his sharp facial features. He sat in a makeshift chair, chiseled from rock and structured with bones almost artfully so. He was leaning back, his arms hanging casually over the sides of the chair. His dark eyes regarded her thoughtfully, analyzing every inch of her trembling form.

"Has he told you what he's done to me?" His voice was darker now, deadly even.

Haruka could feel the involuntary shake in her jaw. "N-no." She was frozen, her very bones quaking. Everything about this place felt raw, as raw as an open wound and as frightening as death itself.

"Don't be afraid. I told you I wouldn't harm you." He stated coldly and it only evoked more dread. "Heal your wounds."  
"Where is my zanpakuto?" She demanded, her voice a bit stronger.

"I would have been happy to keep you united with your weapon, but you insisted on using it against me. So for now, it is by my side." He slid his hand down to the side of the chair and wrapped lanky fingers around the sword's sheath.

"Give her back." Haruka felt panic rise in the back of her throat, the sight of Dairokkan in the hands of an enemy draining the remaining color from her face.

"I am curious, Shinigami, as to why you are here in this wasteland." He raised the sword up so that his eyes could slide along each crevice, intimately examining it. Haruka felt her stomach twist, apprehension and disgust building.

"That's none of your business." She seethed and he smirked.

"I can see why he likes you. He always goes after things that challenge; for things he doesn't deserve." He remarked playfully.  
Haruka fought hard against her own curiosity. She would not feed off of information from this creature. For all she knew it was nothing but lies. Yet, he was willing to talk to her. It was more than what Grimmjow would even offer her…

"How do you know him?" She asked, her voice low and cautious.

His eyes shifted, fleeing her zanpakuto to run along her slumped form. "Heal your injuries and I will tell you." He instructed.  
Haruka swallowed hard. Her hands shook as she lifted them. Blazing blue lit up her fingertips as she ran them along raw, open flesh. She watched, as she had so many times before, as her skin knit itself back together inch by inch. Her capture adjusted, placing her zanpakuto gently on the table beside him and leaning forward slightly. His dark eyes absorbed the blue light, drinking it up. He continued to watch until the last bit of skin was perfectly smooth.

"Now tell me." She ordered, steadying her shake and attempting to at least look a little bit dangerous.

He smiled at her. Much to her surprise, it wasn't threatening or the slightest bit disturbing. It felt...genuine. "To him, I was nothing more than an assignment from Aizen. To prove himself and show his loyalty, he was to kill me and the woman I had taken into my care. He only half succeeded." His eyes moved to the table, focusing on a glass that his hand soon clasped around. It was filled with a deep red liquid that stained his lips as he sipped. A gentle clank echoed off the walls as he placed the cup back down. "He murdered my lover and tried to murder me."

Haruka's eyes widened and breath caught. "But he was told to by Aizen. It was Aizen's fault-"

"Do you always try to see the good in evil?" He asked outright.

Her gaze slid into a glare. "There is good and evil in everyone. He is finding the good in himself."

"I would have been inclined to at least entertain your argument if he hadn't come back here of his own volition to finish the job." He purred.

The shake returned to her entire body. It was a cold she could not ignore no matter how she tried. It moved along her skin as goosebumps and caused her lip to tremble. "He attacked you to protect me." She answered. "He thought you were going to come after me to get revenge."

"And I wonder how he came to that conclusion seeing as I never sought him out, not even once. I have never even threatened his life even after all he had done to me. Because, like you, I believed it was not truly his fault. He was doing simply what he was ordered to do under Aizen. I would have done the same thing." He stood up from his seat and approached Haruka's enclosure. "He stole someone dear from me. And I was going to forgive him for that. But he has shown his true colors. He's nothing but a blood thirsty beast."

"You're wrong." Haruka declared.

"Am I?" He asked on a whisper, his lips nearing the space between the bars. "Or did he just deceive you with his mouth?" The lock clanked loudly as he twisted it, the door freeing itself. Haruka's eyes remained fixed on him, anger and resentment pooling in her gut. "You're free to roam about this room. I will return in a few hours."

"What do you want from me?" She asked on a shaky voice as he turned towards the exit, grabbing Dairokkan on the way.

He stopped and slowly turned his head, just enough to regard her in his peripheral vision. "I want you to rest and recover both your body and mind." He continued moving, not waiting for a response or not expecting one. He pushed open the heavy set door, a bright light nearly blinding her before it closed once again. A rush of air swept by the candle and left her in darkness.

* * *

The harsh echo of grinding stone and subdued snarling filled his ears as he raced through the maze of caverns. It had been easy enough to blast through the small mound of sand where Haruka was last seen. It was much more challenging, however, to follow her scent. This place was massive and spoke to either Zev's determination or insanity at just how intricate this underground system was. It bothered him even more that he never discovered it. He would spend days at a time exploring Hueco Mundo and all it had to offer him after the Shinigami left it to waste away. How did he not find this place?

He paused at yet another fork, reaching out with Pesquia and attempting to find that pulsing purple reishi. Instead, he felt a near infinite sea of powerful reiatsu surrounding him on all sides. It baffled him. How the hell could Zev hide this much power right under their noses?

"Shit, this is going to be fucking impossible." He snarled before sprinting down the left hallway. He would have to find a glimmer of her presence somewhere. Why the hell else would Zev take her down here if all he was planning to do was kill her?

He paused as a sickening realization fell over him. What was he planning on doing with her?

"Damnit! Hang on, Ruka." He declared, his voice conveying his anxiety as he continued to race through the halls.

* * *

Hours had passed that she sat in the dark, huddled in the corner. At first she had attempted to find a way out, sliding her hands along cool stone for imperfections or weaknesses she could exploit with kido. When that had failed, she attempted going through the door, knowing full well it was locked but she had to try something. After struggling with it for at least fifteen minutes, she finally gave in. She needed to be careful how much energy she wasted trying to escape. She needed to be ready to fight him when he opened the door once again.

She just wasn't exactly sure how.

A broken sigh fell from her lips as she dropped her head to her knees. This all could have been avoided if she just stayed in the World of the Living. It didn't matter. She was kidding herself if she thought she really would be able to move on and forget him. Him and all his chaos and complexity and…everything she could possibly need in her life. A reminder that she was far from perfect, but she didn't have to be. He accepted her for what she was. But was the opposite true? Did he really come back here to finish off a Hollow he had so brutally attacked? Even after he slaughtered his lover?

The thought sent chills down her spine. It was a concrete reminder of what he was and what he was capable of. It wasn't that long ago that she and her brethren had called the Arrancars and Espada monsters, perhaps appropriately so. Even watching Nel not so much as flinch as she sliced through her own kind like they were nothing showed her true character. Were they all just a bunch of bloodthirsty beasts taken out of their element and given a human face?

The loud clank of the door opening startled her from her thoughts. "My, my, have you been sitting here in the dark this whole time? My apologies. I hadn't realized the candle went out." The sound of Zev's voice had her pushing to a stand and backing away, despite the sympathy. "You could have relit it yourself you know. I have no intentions of restricting your kido." He stated simply, shutting the door behind him. She didn't respond as he lit the half-burned wick. "Of course I'm sure that was the very last thing on your mind."

"What do you want with me?" She asked while her eyes scanned the room, weighing her options.

Zev sighed while taking a seat in the chair across from the cage. "I've already told you that haven't I?"

"I want to leave." She demanded.

"You're more than welcome to, but first I'd like to speak to you if that's alright. That and you really should eat something. Your spirit energy is awfully low after our little scuffle." He held out a similar fruit to what Nel had offered her the previous day, but she wasn't falling for it. She sneered at the offering. "Suit yourself." He brought the fruit to his lips and sunk his teeth into it, juice dripping down his chin.

Haruka unconsciously licked at dry lips, her hunger starting to become obvious. She couldn't eat from the enemy's hand, however. She would have to push through this. It wouldn't have been the first time. "Where is my zanpakuto?"

"Safe." He replied with a smile as he wiped the juice from his chin. "I apologize. I must look like an animal. When you spend so much time alone, you stop caring about your everyday behaviors. Is loneliness something you are familiar with, Shinigami?"

She stood silent, carefully watching his movements. He posed little threat like that however, sitting nonchalantly in his seat with his legs crossed and his stare towards the wall. Every once in a while he'd glance over to her, eager for a response or just trying to read her, she really couldn't tell.

"I'm not interested in talking." She said finally.

"That's a shame. I really am interested in getting to know the woman that tamed a beast." Zev taunted.

"He's no more beast-like than you." She jabbed, attempting to prod at his patience.

He chuckled, clearly amused at her spirit. "Perhaps you're right." He took another hearty bite of fruit and Haruka felt her stomach ache with hunger. "What is your name, Shinigami?"

Haruka glared at him, refusing to give in.

"I find it very unfair that I know the name of a zanpakuto before the name of its wielder." He attempted, but still there was silence from her. "Perhaps you would rather trade information then? You seem keener on talking when it served your interest."

"Why would I tell you anything? You kidnapped me!" She spat.

"I would not have had to if you just cooperated. After all, I was simply looking for information."

"Information? What information could you possibly be looking for other than where Grimmjow is and what his weaknesses are?" She argued.

"Don't insult me." He laughed. "That mongrel has been holding up in a cave formation several clicks east of here. If I truly wanted to kill him, I would have done it by now, dear."

Haruka gasped, "what?"

He twisted his head enough to catch her surprised expression, mocking it with his own pleased smile. "I'm not the heartless monster he makes me out to be, wielder of Dairokkan. He doesn't realize he's sitting in my very territory. I know everything that goes on above and below these sands. He is no exception to the rule."

"Is that because of your Vasto Lordes?" She questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her.

He smiled expectantly.

She sighed deeply. "My name is Haruka Akiyama."

"Ah yes, one of Aizen's Shinigami followers. Now the pieces are starting to fall into place." He mentioned while turning his head forward.

"I'm not one of Aizen's anymore." She seethed.

"Forgive me. I didn't mean it as you took it. He deceived many of us or perhaps all of us. The Shinigami were not excluded." He finished the last of the fruit, tossing the pit on the table while standing. "The answer to your question is yes. My Vasto Lordes provide information to me from even the slightest disturbance. I knew you were here before you did, Akiyama-san."

Haruka grimaced as she watched him move towards the door. "What are they?"

He paused as his hand rested on the door handle, contemplating his response. "I learned many things from Aizen, the most important being that evil can be repurposed."

"Evil can be repurposed?" Her brow furrowed while attempting to understand.

"Yes. It is a concept most readily practiced by those claiming to be 'of good nature.' You should know, yes? You have attempted to remold a very evil soul with your hands into something more…balanced."

"You shouldn't talk of souls as if they are items for manipulation." She countered.

"Forgive me. It must be the remnants of Aizen's influence talking. I will leave you be for now. Perhaps we can speak more later? I do very much enjoy having someone reasonable to talk to after being alone for so very long. I will have some food brought to you later. I hope you can learn to trust that my motives are not as sinister as you think." He stated as he finally pushed the door open, revealing that bright, obnoxious light.

"I have yet to determine your motives." She said as he exited.

"Good. I hope future discussions will shed some light on the situation. It was nice speaking to you, Akiyama-san. I'll see you soon."

"Wait!" Haruka shouted, causing him to stop in his tracks, turning his head curiously towards her. "If Grimmjow just came back here to kill you and you haven't provoked him not once… I don't believe that to be true." She declared with an unsteady voice.

Zev nodded, "I understand your skepticism. Perhaps you should look deeper into what drives someone as chaotic as him. You said yourself that he came back here to kill me in order to protect you. Maybe it wasn't to protect you at all. Maybe it was to protect his reputation. What, after all, would you think of someone who killed another man's defenseless lover?" And with that, Zev left.

Haruka remained standing, staring at the door and contemplating all that had just transpired. She felt her hands quiver as a cold sweat had broken out along her forehead. Her hunger grew fiercely, causing her to hunch over until she was a quaking ball in the corner of the room. She felt light-headed and exhausted. But worse of all, she started doubting Grimmjow's motives for coming here. What if Zev was right? What if Grimmjow didn't come here for her? What if it was just to erase his past? To make sure she never found out about what he had done? It would explain his overwhelming resistance to explaining himself. What if she was wrong about him?

Soon the exhaustion and lack of nourishment was enough for her body to drift into a chaotic sleep, one that would bring no relief.


	5. Chapter 4

_/* Hi all! Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter then the others. Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews as always! Enjoy! */_

Chapter 4 -

Fingers twitched in the sand, digging painfully so beneath the surface. A furrowed brow and pained sigh was all she could manage as her green eyes fluttered open. The moon was in its usual location high above her. Sand stung her skin as it blew wildly around her. Just how long had she been lying there?

"Ruki…" She groaned while pushing herself up painfully. The bodies littered around her reminded her of exactly what had transpired. She had managed to take on a few before the horde of creatures erupted in a song of screeching. Then Zev had struck, taking her down with a single slash before grabbing an injured Haruka and disappearing beneath the sands.

"Zev. Just how did he get so strong?" She questioned to the lifeless moon above. And then there was Grimmjow and his recklessness. "I have to tell Halibel."

A loud cry of agony erupted from her lungs before she managed to steady herself on her feet. It was going to be a very long trek back at this rate, but she had to get to Las Noches and warn Halibel. It would only be a matter of time before he would target them.

Little by little, Nel dragged herself through the sands and back towards Las Noches, leaving the purple-haired Shinigami and the chaotic Arrancar to their fates.

* * *

 _Pain, sheer unending pain, drew her from her state of unconsciousness. Her eyes flew open, horrified to see countless faceless Vasto Lordes descending on her, slashing at her, mangling her to pieces. She could hear over the sounds of her own ripping flesh, a desperate voice shouting her name. It was ragged, angry, and sorrowful. She tried to see through the hordes of faceless monsters, tried to call to Dairokkan, tried everything to free herself from this pain. It wasn't until a final pointed limb stabbed into her chest, was she finally able to rest…_

Her gasp filled the silence of the room, her aching form shaking and covered with a sheen layer of sweat. Her hands desperately felt around her body, an echo of pain slowly ebbing away from her chest. She was alive. It had felt so real, so incredibly real. When her senses finally cleared, she realized she was covered by a warm blanket and a fire had been started in the old looking fireplace set against the wall. She half wondered where the smoke exited and a thought of escape flickered through her mind.

Cold metal met with her hand as she reached down to adjust herself. Her eyes met with several large fruits and what looked like bread. Immediately her hunger made itself known once more. Unable to resist the temptation any longer, she took a ravenous bite of the closest fruit, nearly moaning as the juice exploded from beneath the fragile skin. The relief was instant, her head clearing and her reishi stabilizing.

She ate all that was offered, clearing the plate until all that was left were pits and crumbs. With a relieved sigh, she collapsed her head back onto the pillow that had been provided to her whilst she slept. It disturbed her mildly that she was unable to rouse with an enemy in her presence. Perhaps she really didn't view Zev as an enemy. Perhaps he was more a victim of circumstance; a victim of her circumstance.

She pushed herself up to a sitting position once more and grimaced, guilt pulling at her. Grimmjow attacked him because of her. Regardless of Grimmjow's true motives, she was still inadvertently at fault for what was happening. Maybe she could convince him to stop this. Maybe she could get him to just go back to the World of the Living with her and leave Zev alone. She had destroyed enough people's lives.

 _"How long was I sleeping for?"_ She wondered as she looked around the room. Her fists clenched in the blanket, bringing it near her chin. She shifted her body so that her back was against the wall. It was cool and uncomfortable, but at least it brought her mind back to reality. She had to find a way to get out of here. She had to reach Grimmjow before he did something incredibly stupid.

It had only been a few minutes before a gentle knock brought her attention to the door. "C-come in?" She called out, uncertain.

The door opened and Zev was soon revealed. "Good to see you're awake." He mentioned before his eyes moved to the empty tray. "And glad to see you've finally eaten."

Haruka nodded, watching him skeptically. "Thank you for the food."

He smiled. "You're very welcome." He took his usually seat in that eerie chair.

Haruka watched as he sat in silence for several long minutes, obviously just enjoying the presence of another. She felt that guilt pulse through her body again. This man had been through hell and all he wanted was someone to talk to, someone he could talk to. "I'm sorry for what Grimmjow did to you." She mentioned quietly. "I'm sorry for everything you went through."

Zev smiled sadly. "That is not something for you to apologize for, Haruka-chan."

Her eyes raised to his, shocked at his lack of formality. But worse than that, the sentiment pulled at her memories of another who used to call her that. Another that suffered for her carelessness.

She could barely hold back the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes. And as much as she wished he wouldn't notice, he was far too perceptive not to. "There is no reason for you to cry, Haruka-chan." He said gently.

"There's every reason." She whispered.

"I'm a little curious if you knew her." He stated suddenly. "She was a Shinigami, after all."

"I might have." She mentioned while wiping away a stray tear. "I don't remember you, though. Aside from healing, Aizen kept us separated from the Espada and Arrancar."

Zev snorted. "More than likely due to me." He sighed as his eyes trained on the fire. "Her name was Naomi."

"Naomi…" Like a rush of water, Haruka was swept back to her dream of Grimmjow impaling that woman. That woman that she thought she knew- It was Naomi…

" _Naomi!" Haruka grasped the fellow Shinigami harshly. "Where are you going? Aizen-sama said we aren't allowed out of this wing any longer."_

" _Don't worry about it Akiyama-san. He has me taking care of some injured Arrancar in another wing. I promise I'll be back in a few hours."_

 _Haruka watched the pretty blonde race down the hallway and towards the palace main entry…_

"That was the last time I saw her."

"That is because she left with me." He said simply. "Aizen felt betrayed as I was his first success. I was his best pupil. He kept me by his side at all times and taught me everything he knew. So when I started having feelings for Naomi, he took it personally. We Espada were his and we did what he said. He didn't like that I was 'being corrupting' by his Shinigami."

"I had no idea. I mean I didn't know her very well, but to be involved romantically with an Espada…"

"She would have been killed for it. She was killed for it." He stated simply, his eyes darkening and his jaw set in a hard line.

"I'm so sor-"

"Don't bother, Haruka-chan. It means nothing coming from you." He said coldly, causing her to draw back and go silent. Instead she just watched as the flames danced along his pale skin, warming each dark wrinkle on his face.

"I need you to let me go." She said suddenly.

He remained silent.

"If I can find Grimmjow then maybe I can convince him to let this go. I need to convince him to leave you alone." She declared.

His eyes slid from the fire and to her determined expression. "He will not be so easily convinced."

"Well I have to at least try! You said yourself that you've had ample opportunity to kill him. Well why haven't you? And if you aren't planning to, then let me talk him out of this crazy plot for vengeance."

Zev's eyes shifted back to the fire, taking several long moments to just think.

"Please." She begged.

He pushed himself up to a stand. "I would like some time to think. I very much enjoy your company, Haruka-chan. I can see what he finds so endearing about you."

A hint of a blush formed on her cheeks at his complement. "He's not going to stop until he gets me back."

"I know." He nodded before leaving the room.

Haruka's fists tightened in the blanket as her eyes caught the dancing flames. "What am I going to do?"

* * *

An exasperated roar tore from his lungs as he ripped yet another faceless creature's limbs from its body. His breathing was labored as he'd been fighting through these things for hours now. Every tunnel he navigated just brought him into another horde of mutated Vasto Lordes. There was only one thing keeping him going and that was the tiny purple flame that he couldn't allow to be extinguished.

He had felt her pulsing reishi several times now, just hint of her existence beyond the endless dark passageways. But just as quickly as it was revealed, was it snuffed out. Wherever she was, it was suffocating her reishi so that it could not be discovered.

Regardless, it meant she was alive and that was all that mattered.

His mind lingered to what kind of horrid tortures Zev was exposing her to. He tried not to let his mind travel down that path, because really, there was no point in wasting time thinking about things that were not within his control. He simply had to make them within his control by ripping Zev's throat out. Yes, that was what he needed to focus on; on destroying that asshole from ever being.

He paused at the next fork, his limbs aching and his wounds pulsing. "Ruka…" An image of her flashed in his mind, nude and abused in the corner of a dark room. Standing over her, was Zev, a devious smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

His hands ripped through his hair as an angry snarl lifted his lips. "Fuck!" It was driving him mad; absolutely mad. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to destroy him. I'm going to rip his fucking head from his-" He stopped.

He would have continued his ravings if at that moment he hadn't felt the pulse of something familiar. It wasn't Haruka, but it was something very closely connected to her. "Dairokkan…"

He managed to set aside his absolute rage in order to feel the call of his lover's sword up until he placed it. "It's a start." He grumbled before taking off down the right tunnel and towards Dairokkan.

It didn't take long for him to finally stumble on what had to be the centerfold of Zev's underground empire. The rooms had taken more traditional shape, with heavy metal doors latched to the stone and walls carved in the likeness of any modern palace. He finally figured out exactly why he never discovered such a mass of power. The walls were coated in a suppression substance, designed to mask spirit energy much like Zev's own ability. It was also why he couldn't detect Haruka. She must have been behind one of these doors and the only time he sensed her was when the door was open. _"When Zev was entering or leaving."_ He emphasized in his mind.

It didn't make sense that he could feel her zapakuto, though. How was the sword able to guide him to her?

He didn't spend too much time thinking about the how and preferred to just find the weapon. He raced through the hallways, following the desperate call of Dairokkan, until he happened upon a heavyset iron door. "She's in here." He murmured to himself. He didn't waste time trying to pry open the door. Instead he unsheathed his own weapon, slashing through the barrier like butter, before returning his sword to its proper place on his hip.

Inside, the room was dark and dank. It held little of interest aside from the stone table set in the center of the room with Haruka's zanpakuto resting in the middle of it. He took two quick steps before he was in front of it, studying it closely before his fingers encircled the sheath. " _You must hurry."_

He heard the echo in his mind, a crazed nail-biting desperation to it. " _She does not hear me any longer. I cannot reach her."_

"What the fuck happened?" He ground out as he stood there, holding the sword tightly.

" _I do not know what false words he embeds into her mind, but I know that we are no longer connected. Something is fractured."_ It had been a long time since he last held her weapon and he remembered back then the hate and utter disgust that emanated from it. Now all he felt was sorrow.

"I'll get you back to her." He stated. "Just as soon as that asshole opens the door to where she is."

His eyes closed as he focused on the pulsating energies around him. Surprisingly, the Vasto Lordes kept their distance from this place.

" _I fear she will fall victim to ignorance once again."_ There was a hint of real terror in the sound of that voice in his mind.

"I wish she had some of your skepticism." He scoffed. "Then maybe she wouldn't get herself in these situations."

" _Your sense of humor is not welcome."_

Grimmjow shrugged. "Too bad."

* * *

She paced back and forth, the toll of being locked alone in this room starting to show. She had to get out. She had to find Grimmjow. She had to stop him.

As if summoning him, Zev appeared in the newly open doorway. "I'm letting you out. Feel free to roam this place as you see fit. My Vasto Lordes will not bother you."

"That's it? You're just letting me wander through your lair?" She asked skeptically.

"It is not as if you can cause any real harm." He smiled, his expression looking almost devious. "Besides, I have decided that you are no real threat to me."

Haruka grimaced while averting her gaze.

"I did not mean it as an insult." He chuckled lightly while brushing his fingers along her cheek briefly. She looked up at him surprised at first before her expression softened. "I see that you devote yourself to the good in others, no matter how small it may be. It is admirable."

"I'm not so sure. I feel I've destroyed more lives than I've helped." She admitted.

"Sometimes our efforts do not show themselves for many years. I would implore you to practice patience." He stated.

"I'm going to find Grimmjow and take him from here so you no longer have to suffer, Zev." She stated. "I promise."

"You do what you have to, Haruka-chan, as will I. I suppose I can assist in your venture. I was going to return your zanpakuto to you, but I found it missing. The door had been slashed in two." He mentioned.

"Which way?" She asked frantically. He pointed towards the hallway behind her. She began moving down the hallway before pausing to look back, a tickle of doubt finding itself. "What will you do now?"

"Go back to surviving; for what else is there to do in Hueco Mundo?" He shrugged before turning to walk in the opposite direction.

Haruka's mouth dried up as she attempted to find a suitable response to counteract the guilt forming. Nothing seemed sufficient. "Goodbye." She whispered before rushing down the random hallways, trying to find her way back to Grimmjow.

* * *

There.

He felt it, small but inviting; her purple aura beckoning him, begging him to find her. He was half shocked it was as calm as it was. He had expected it to be frantic and desperate if even alive. No, what he felt was strong and confident. And he accepted that with unrelenting relief.

He rushed in the direction it was coming from, even more surprised that it seemed to be approaching him. As soon as his eyes landed on those bright violet orbs did that overwhelming anxiety finally dim. "Grimmjow!" Her voice was the greatest sound he had ever heard.

"Ruka! Fucking hell! What did he do to you?" He asked as his arms slid over her body, moving her limbs and checking for injuries.

With narrowed eyes, she pulled herself free from him. "Nothing. He didn't do anything to me." She said firmly.

Surprise flitted across his face momentarily before anger replaced it. "And I'm just supposed to believe that?" His pointer finger pressed into her forehead, signifying a different place Zev infected.

She slapped his hand away. "We need to leave."

"Yea we do, but not before I rip his fucking head from his shoulders." He remarked, uncaring.

"No, you're not. You're going to leave him alone." She refuted while grabbing at his arm.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Ah yea, great. You fed into his garbage lies, didn't you?" He snapped, his tone furious.

"He told me the truth, something you refused to do." She countered. His lips lifted into a snarl, readying a response before she cut him off. "You killed Naomi."

He pulled back as if she had just cut him. "You don't know the whole story."

"I know enough, Grimmjow. I know that you've tortured this man enough and you need to leave him alone." She scolded.

"Do you even realize what he is?" His exasperated tone had her doubting herself once more. "He's Aizen 2.0. He was Aizen's little minion that followed him around and learned everything he could. And you played right into his hand."

"How would you know?" She spat angrily.

"Because that's why I was sent to kill him. Not because he scooped up some Shinigami bitch. Because Aizen showed him too much, taught him too much. He was leaving to become something greater than Aizen. Whatever story he fed you was a bunch of shit. Naomi wasn't his lover. She was his sidekick." He explained.

"I don't believe you." She sneered.

Again he looked taken aback. More than just shock etched his features, it was pain, pain caused by her. "Fuck you." He snapped while tossing her sword roughly into her chest. "Good luck getting anywhere with that, by the way."

She swallowed hard, realizing what she had just done. "Grimmjow! Where are you going?" She demanded desperately.

"I don't fucking repeat myself." He was livid, absolutely livid. How could she believe Zev over him? How could she play into his fucking games? He couldn't think about what he was going to do with Haruka at that moment. All he could see in the forefront of his mind was Zev's dead corpse impaled on his arm.

"Grimmjow, stop!" She chased after him. "Don't hurt him."

He couldn't contain his absolute rage any longer. He turned on her, charging her and pinning her hard against the wall to the point the rock was digging into her back. A startled screech left her lungs, causing an ache to form in his muscles. His body was physically fighting this reaction, but he didn't care anymore. "What are you going to do, Shinigami bitch? Stop me?"

Horror formed on her face causing him to pause, lessening the force he was using to dig her into the wall. "Maybe he was right about you." She whispered. "Maybe you are just a monster."

His breath caught in his lungs as he instantly backed away from her. "Maybe I am." The sheer amount of sorrow that fell onto that statement tore at Haruka. "And maybe you should just let me be the monster that I am and stop trying to make me into something I'm not."

Nothing further was said as he stormed down the hallway, leaving her heartbroken soul leaning against the wall and refusing to look back.


	6. Chapter 5

_/* Hi all. So this chapter does get a little cliché and cheesy (but I need a little bit of that in my life so why not?). The biggest struggle is keeping true to Grimmjow's personality and not going too far down the mushy path (because honestly it ain't his style). That said, this chapter is nsfw and does contain a lemon along with the usual strong language and violence. You've been warned! Enjoy! */_

Chapter 5 -

She had to get herself under control. She had half a mind to just leave that place, let the two of them battle to the death. Conflict left a steady ache in her chest. She didn't know who to believe, but despite that, she couldn't just let Grimmjow attack Zev unprovoked.

After taking a few minutes to compose herself, she stormed off in the direction he went. It didn't take long to discover them face to face in the large arena-like room. She saw Grimmjow hunched over and ragged with rage. He was about to attack Zev who was calm and composed, barely lifting a finger to him.

In a flash of shunpo, she was between them, Dairokkan pointed at Grimmjow's throat. "Stop this!" She shouted, her fury and anguish mingling with her voice. A large, devious smile had formed on Zev's face, one that Haruka could not see in her current stance.

Grimmjow snarled, fed up with this nonsense. "You just won't fucking listen."

"Are you going to attack your very own lover, Grimmjow?" Zev smirked and Haruka faltered, hearing the amusement in his voice.

Without another hesitation, Grimmjow charged. Haruka blocked him with her zanpakuto and allowed Zev to flash away in a burst of sonido. Enraged, Grimmjow grasped her sword, allowing it to dig into his hand before ripping it wildly to the side and sending Haruka to the ground. She collided with a loud thud, groaning from the impact.

Zev, on the other hand, had seemingly vanished just before the unthinkable happened. A barrier had appeared instantly, blocking Grimmjow from Haruka and trapping her inside. "I know you'd never kill her to get to me." Zev's voice interrupted as panic started forming in Grimmjow's gut. "But I suppose this will have to do."

Above them, on a balcony, Zev appeared with a switch. A large red button was pressed before the erupting screams deafened them. Haruka pushed herself up, looking frantically around as the sands began distorting around her. She backed away, until she felt the sting of the barrier on her skin. "Oh no." She whispered as the floor exploded around her.

"Your biggest folly, Haruka-chan, is your naive trust in anything that moves." Zev chuckled as the dust settled and his screaming minions were finally revealed.

"Haruka!" Grimmjow shouted as he sliced at the shield keeping her locked in. "You son of a bitch, Zev. Let her go!"

"I have to say, Grimmjow, I was a bit torn. Part of me wanted to keep your little Shinigami for my own experimentations and just turn you into one of my Vasto Lordes, but somehow this feels much more satisfying. How does it feel, to watch someone you love be ripped to shreds?" Zev declared from above, his warm and welcoming features deteriorating into a cold evil that spoke of his obvious intent.

"You manipulated me." Haruka bellowed as the first faceless being charged her. She slashed at its face, sparks exploding as contact was made. The creature pushed forward, ignoring the sharp blade pressing into its face. Haruka jumped back attempting to avoid the incoming swipe.

"I did." He replied, clearly amused. "I wasn't expecting it to be quite so easy, but then again, Aizen chose his victims wisely." He watched as one of his Vasto Lordes slashed Haruka in the back. Her cry echoed across the room, causing Grimmjow's reiatsu to flare as he continued to slash at the barrier. Trickles of blood fell to his feet as the barrier started cutting into his flesh. His shouts of utter agony and rage caused the grin on Zev's face to widen.

"Haruka! Haruka!" Grimmjow's voice began distorting with panic until her name became a desperate cry.

She screamed as another creature slashed across her chest. She grunted and fell to a single knee as blood splashed on the dusty surface. With a deep gasp, she pushed herself to a shaky stand. "Void, Dairokkan!" She shouted as she attempted to draw out her weapon, but there was no response. "Dairokkan!" She yelled desperately several more times before Zev's laugh finally reached her ears.

"Never let your weapon fall into the hands of the enemy, Shinigami." He mock scolded. "I wish I could spend more time watching this wretched love story, but alas, I have a kingdom to overtake. I hope your pain is everlasting, Grimmjow. I'll return later to be sure of it." He turned from the gruesome scene and made his way deeper into his lair.

"I'll kill you!" Grimmjow's twisted voice filled the room, his breathing ragged and strained. "Grind, Pantera!" His reiatsu exploded as he watched Haruka get tackled to the ground, a sharp limb cutting into the flesh where shoulder met torso. Her head tilted towards him as Dairokkan trembled in her fist. She was as pale as the moon, her struggle lessening and her life on a thread.

In that instant, everything inside him distorted. Power that he had never felt before culminated at his palm and then he released it. The attack itself resembled a Grand Rey Cero, but was vastly more organized and more powerful. The hit erupted against the barrier, shattering it instantly, before tearing apart the rocks beyond.

An enraged battle cry left his lungs as he charged the faceless creatures currently mutilating his Shinigami. Bright blue slashes erased the Vasto Lordes from existence. One by one they shattered until the remaining fled for their lives. Grimmjow paused for a breath of a second, his body heaving with the tremendous effort of sustaining this form. Wild blue hair cascaded around his shoulders and into his face, dirtied with blood and sweat. When he felt the myriad of powerful reiatsu ebb away into the distance, his piercing sapphire gaze shifted.

Instantly he was beside her, pulling her limp form into his arms. Dairokkan dragged against the dirt surface as her grip was still iron tight around the hilt. Blood drenched her clothing and stained her skin. Those perfect purple orbs were tightly shut, wrinkles distorted her face, and sweat coated her skin. She was in a lot of pain and it showed even in her unconscious state.

"Hang on, Ruka." His voice faltered as he held her tightly against his chest. He gently removed her zanpakuto from her grip, sliding it safely next to his own weapon. Using sonido, he rushed through the underground lair, following his instincts and towards his temporary reprieve. Her raspy breaths and pained groans caused his stomach to twist with apprehension. Everything inside him was screaming to do something; everything was telling him she was dying.

The burning in his lungs and cramping in his legs was easy enough to ignore every time he glanced down. His teeth were clenched, painfully so, in an effort to contain the absolute fury he was feeling. Zev would pay for this. He would pay infinitely so.

Finally he found that soft spot where the sand seemingly hovered, and burst through it effortlessly. The light of the moon washed over them, bright enough to hurt his eyes after being in the underground for so long. An eerie silence surrounded them, only being interrupted by the light patter of his footfalls against the sand and Haruka's quiet groans. It wasn't enough to keep the assaulting thoughts at bay. How could he let this happen? How could he even consider attempting to be king of Hueco Mundo when he couldn't even protect her? Why the hell did he toss her to the side?

Eventually, his eyes found the concealed entrance in the side of that familiar rock formation. As soon as he was inside, he found the safest corner of the cavern and gently laid her down. "Ruka." He urged gently as his hand slid along her cheek. When she didn't respond, he began tearing away her clothing, being sure to spare her anymore pain in the process. Little by little each injury was revealed to him, turning that rage into guilt and sorrow and regret.

He wasn't usually one for attempting fancy kido tricks, but he had to try something. He had watched her do it enough times now to get the idea, however, he had always used his abilities for destruction, never for healing. His regenerative techniques were always for him, never for another.

It started as a subtle tingling, the power pooling at his fingertips. Then, he slid them over the first injury at her shoulder; focusing on fixing it, picturing the skin knitting itself back together. The energy suddenly felt cool as it lapped at damaged skin and scabbing. Much to his surprise, it was working, the sensation not all that different from when he lapped at his own wounds. Perhaps he did know how to use his reiatsu for healing.

She shifted and groaned as her shoulder was mostly healed, save for a bit of scarring. Next, his hand moved to her chest, following a relatively deep slash that ran from her collarbone and down to her abdomen. It reminded him of his own scar that had been a direct result of Kurosaki, one that he kept around just for that memory. He didn't want her to remember this. He didn't want her to remember how he failed her, failed to protect what was his. He didn't want her to remember how he almost got her killed.

His concentration faltered and he paused half way down the injury. Desperate, noisy gasps followed as he attempted to catch his breath. This was as exhausting as fighting those endless hordes of Vasto Lordes. It took every bit of his concentration to focus his reiatsu so precisely and to use it in a way he was not used to.

"G-grimm-jow…" Her tone was weak as she struggled to call to him. Her eyes fluttered open briefly, searching.

"Don't try to move." He insisted. Immediately cool fingers were running along the giant gash again.

Her hand shifted up, icy fingers entangling around his wrist. "Grimmjow…what are you doing?"

"Healing you." He answered matter-of-factly.

"H-how…"

"Don't worry about it, Ruka. Just lie back and let me finish this, will ya?" He strained. Sweat dripped along his forehead, running down the side of his face.

Haruka sighed as the pain slowly started fading. Her gaze shifted to the stone ceiling above her, counting the stalactites reaching down towards her. Her thoughts began replaying the mistakes she had made, each one in intricate detail. From her dealings with the S4G, to her blind devotion to Aizen, to her trusting of Zev; each was a result of her own foolish naivety. Except this time, she was the one to finally pay the price. If she had just listened to Grimmjow instead of chastising him…

"I'm sorry." She choked out as his hands slid to the final severe laceration. "I should have listened to you."

His concentration broke, his gaze shifting to her face. He regarded his response longer than he would have normally before shifting his focus back to her injury and speaking, "yea you should have." Pale blue energy moved along deformed skin, numbing the pain as it went. "But I shouldn't have left you out of the loop."

He caught her surprised expression as he pushed himself back on his haunches. She attempted to push herself up, but there was still a lot of pain. "Don't move." He wrapped his arms around her torso, holding her up.

Her head tilted, viewing her zanpakuto settled next to his weapon and she crumbled. "I'm so stupid." She declared as her hand outstretched to the hilt, her fingers running along it. "Why am I so stupid?"

"You ain't stupid." He scolded as he moved her, propping her back against the wall so she could sit up and look him in the eyes. Her gaze averted and he found himself pressing his firm grasp into her cheeks to guide her purple stare back to his. "You have a very annoying habit of seeing even the tiniest bit of good in everyone you come across, but you know what? If you didn't have that habit, you wouldn't be mine." His fingers idly moved loose locks of hair out of her face as hers traveled up his shoulders, tugging him towards her. He pressed his forehead against hers, sighing deeply.

"We have to stop him." Her quiet declaration shattered the fragile revere they had fallen into. "I mean, I don't know how. But we can't let him take Las Noches. He won't stop there. Eventually he'll build his army enough to go after Soul Society and the World of the Living."

He broke free from her, plopping his tired form next to her and pressing his back against the wall. "We ain't much use like this, Ruka. We need time to recover. And from what I saw back there, your zanpakuto ain't doing too well either." He pulled Dairokkan free and settled the sword on his lap. Haruka deflated, her chin falling to her chest and unable to even look at the piece of herself she had betrayed once again.

"He broke my connection to her." She muttered with defeat.

"I got a feeling you did that on your own, Kitten." He replied gently. Her glare was scathing, but it faded fast as realization overtook her.

"I did…" She whispered. "I broke her trust."

"Then you gotta get it back. She ain't going to fight for you if she don't trust you." He mentioned idly. "I guess it's the same with us too, right?"

She looked up at him, confusion pulling at her features. "What do you mean? I trust you."

"No you don't." He rebutted nonchalantly. "Not after that."

She paused, "I-" Her pained whisper dragged his eyes to her tear stained cheeks.

"You believed Zev that I was just a bloodthirsty Arrancar looking for a good fight. So is that how it is? You didn't believe a word I said to you? Didn't trust that I wanted to come back to you?" He asked as gently as he could manage, though it still came out scathing.

Shame flushed her cheeks as she averted her eyes to the stony cave floor. "I believed what little information you chose to give me." She attempted. "Not like it was any reason to throw me around like a rag doll."

His jaw clenched. "You pissed me off. Normally I kill things that piss me off." He did all he could to curb his temper. She knew how to infuriate him that was certain.

He waited for her comeback, some loathing statement confirming his actions almost did kill her. Yet, it never came. "I guess I did it to myself." she mumbled.

He paused, watching her fiddle with her thumbs as she shifted away from him slightly. His large palm fell to her leg, dragging her back towards him. "I ain't perfect, Ruka. Far from it actually. And I know I fucked up too. I tried to keep you in the dark to keep you safe and all it did was forced you to find the truth somewhere else. I almost lost you." His throat felt dry as the image of Haruka getting slashed apart flashed across his mind. He swallowed hard while redirecting his train of thought quickly before the image consumed him. "Point is, we ain't going to last if we keep butting heads like this."

"So what are you suggesting?" Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

"Fight with me." He said as he slid her zanpakuto into her lap. Her breath caught slightly at first, but her surprised expression was quickly replaced with a small smile as her eyes locked onto her weapon. "Like you said, this ain't just my fight anymore. And even if it was-" his gaze moved towards the cave entrance as he collected his thoughts, "the last time I shared a fight was with my fraccion and they all ended up dead. I didn't care. Back then, if you couldn't hold your own weight then you didn't deserve to fight with me. It ain't going to be like that this time around."

"You're not worried I'll just get in your way?" She half-teased, though the underlying connotation was not lost on him.

He sighed deeply, the lengthy pause surprising her as opposed to his usual impulsiveness. "The only thing I worry about, Ruka, is seeing you a breath away from death." His voice rumbled with deep, exhaustive sorrow.

Haruka managed to push herself off the wall enough to look at him in full. His head craned back against the rock, his tiredness finally breaking him. "Grimmjow-"

"At least with you fighting next to me I have a better chance at dying first." He meant for some humor to come out on that statement, but it fell completely flat. Her pretty face twisted before she collided into him, burying her face against his chest.

"I'm not letting anything happen to you." The muffled declaration caused an amused smirk to form on his lips.

"Says the woman who pointed a sword at my throat." He joked, but it only caused her to choke down a sob. "Ruka, I was only kidding." He placated her while pulling her into his lap, her legs straddling his hips. Her head dipped against his neck as her breathing settled. He felt as her lips brushed against his skin, gentle needy affection that nearly burned him. He released a throaty sigh at the sensation as she continued, her kisses coming more fervently.

"Ruka…" He groaned as her hands began roaming bare skin, sliding along his chest and stomach. "You need to rest." He grabbed her wrists to halt her continued movement.

She pushed herself up so that she could look him in the eyes, purple boring into blue. "I need _you_." She whispered.

His grip slackened, her hands moving to his hair as she leaned forward. Her lips crashed against his, desperately seeking to satisfy that aching need. Her tongue slid against his bottom lip, easily earning a stifled groan in response before his lips parted to allow her access.

His hands slid to her body, gently discarding the remains of her tattered clothing and fully revealing her for his taking. Her naked thighs remained straddled around his hips, her sex pressing against the hardened member still hidden by his hakama. His calloused palms ran along the skin of her outer thighs and caused her to release a trembling moan.

"Please, Grimmjow. I need you." The mumbled request between their combined lips had his fingers fumbling with his own clothing. She wasted no time when he finally managed to free himself, immediately sheathing him with her wet heat. Their heads craned back as a simultaneous groan came from both their lips, filling the silence of the cave. Her arms settled on his shoulders, her fingers still toying with his hair. His rough palms slid up and along her back, pressing her forward so that his lips could dip to her breasts. Slowly, teasingly, he took one hardened peak into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. She hissed as her fingers tugged on his hair, pressing his head against her chest and demanding more.

He moaned with delight as she lifted herself up, feeling him sliding pleasantly out of her before she crashed her hips back down against him. She pushed aside the residual pain of her injuries and got lost in the intense sensations forming where their hips joined. His hands moved to her ass, helping her keep a steady rhythm that was slowly building heat in both of them. His lips moved to her neck, brushing whispering kisses along her skin and causing her to cry out in pure and utter ecstasy. Each crash of their hips brought them closer and closer to that pinnacle.

"Grimmjow, I-" Everything was overwhelming her. The sensations, the emotion, the pure delicious need were all pushing her closer to that dangerous truth she was trying hard to keep to herself. But even he knew it was beyond just wants and need now.

"Say it, Kitten." He demanded as he felt his control slipping. He felt her tight, slick heat clenching him, signalling she was nearing that edge as he was. His teeth grazed along the thin skin of her neck, feeling her racing pulse with his tongue. She clung to him, losing control of her own movements as a pleasurable fog overtook her senses.

Loud moans ripped from her throat as his hips thrust upward, amplifying the sensations and lessening her effort. "I-" She could barely speak, her mind solely focusing on the building heat within her core that threatened to overtake her.

He continued the frantic motion of his hips, building her until he felt her nails dig into his shoulder. "Ruka...tell me…"

Her head craned back as she screamed, her orgasm crashing through her entire body. She clung to him as he pounded through it, reaching the pinnacle of his own need shortly thereafter. She collapsed against him, breathless. Her arms reached around his neck as her lips nuzzled against his ear. "I love you." She whispered.

His arms tightened their hold on her, keeping her flush against him. It was enough of a response for her.

He sighed, long and heavy; half regretting his demand to hear that definite little statement. It didn't really matter because he already knew it was true. What difference did it make if she said it or not? The real question was what he felt in return. He had no doubt in his mind that she was his and that was the way he wanted it. Who gave a fuck about the rest?

That and none of this shit would matter if they didn't take care of Zev. He could deal with his own feelings when the bastard was dead and gone.

"Do you think he's made it by now?" The question took him a little off guard. It was her attempt at changing the subject, getting away from the quiet little declaration that he did not return.

"Get some rest, will ya? We'll figure that shit out in a couple of hours. For now, Nel and Halibel are going to have to hold their own." He grabbed some clothing and wrapped it around her naked, trembling form.

"Do you really think they stand a chance?" Her voice rumbled against the nape of his neck, tickling his skin.

His head dropped, his lips pressing lovingly to her shoulder before responding. "They ain't got a choice."


	7. Chapter 6

_/* Hi all! So so sorry this is almost a week behind. I was out of power and internet for the last five days and finally today everything is up and running again. To make it up to you, this chapter is about twice as long as those before it. Just a forewarning, this chapter does jump around in perspective a lot (sorry!) so hopefully it's not too confusing. Alright, with that let's get back to it. Thank you too all those that are still following along with Haruka's story. It means a lot that others enjoy my fanfictions as much as I enjoy writing them. */_

* * *

Chapter 6 -

"Mutated Vasto Lordes?" Halibel's disbelief was palpable, but even she knew it was no lie. Nel would never lie to her, not about this.

"Yes. Hundreds, if not thousands." Her pretty green hair was tangled, caked with blood and sand. She was hunched over with her hand pressed against a deep gash. Her fraccion, though resistant, eventually backed down from their original panic and were both kneeling behind her.

"And what of Zev?" Halibel's voice was calm and collected as it always was despite the underlying concern in the pit of her stomach.

Nel's jade stare averted to her feet, shame filling her. "He took me down with a single swing."

Halibel's eyes narrowed, the first sign of true worry from the Arrancar warrior. Nel's gaze remained averted and silence followed for several long moments up until the doors swung open with furious speed. "Halibel-sama!" Appaci, one of Halibel's fraccion, rushed in. "You need to see this!"

Her gaze shifted to her fraccion, observing her frantic posture. She glanced back at Nel, whose shocked expression spoke of the horrors coming their way that very moment. Regardless, Halibel followed Appaci at a leisurely pace out to the wall protecting Las Noches.

There, as far as her eyes could see, was a sea of faceless ivory masks moving towards them. "It's begun." Nel's strained voice mentioned.

"Will this war between our own kind ever end?" The exasperated tone of Sung-sun joined them.

"I never wish to resort to war, but my hesitancy in the past has resulted in dire consequences for those I wish to protect." Halibel replied solemnly, watching the waves of death slowly approach. "If we wish for peace, then it appears we must fight for it. It is a sacrifice that we must make."

"We are with you Halibel-sama." Her fraccion replied in unison.

"Then go. Prepare the other Arrancar for what is to come. This does not look to be an easy fight."

* * *

 _Smoke filtered into the air from several different buildings. Las Noches was under attack. "Grimmjow…" Her voice conveyed her concern, the numerous loud screeching noises only emphasizing the situation._

" _We end Zev, and then they'll disperse. They can't follow without a leader." He replied._

" _Are you sure?" She asked, uncertain._

 _He tilted his head slightly, doubt flitting across his features._

" _We don't have a choice either way, right?" She mentioned before he could respond. "We have to take him down."_

" _Yea." He nodded, yet still his voice sounded unmotivated. He wasn't prepared for this and it was so unlike him._

 _She stood up in full view, her body twisting as she looked around._

" _Ruka, get the fuck down before they see you!" He shouted on a harsh whisper._

" _This isn't right." She said as she continued to observe her surroundings. "No, this hasn't happened yet. We aren't here yet." She kept telling herself._

" _Are you fucking stupid!?" He wrenched her arm, attempting to pull her out of sight and that's when she felt it; a sharp, painful sensation that penetrated her back and exited her chest. She looked down, seeing a long sharp sword going from her chest and into Grimmjow's._

" _G-grimm-jow…?" She felt the blood pooling at the back of her throat, her stomach forcing it out the only way it knew how. Grimmjow looked similar, blood trickling from the entry wound and to the sandy surface beneath his feet._

" _Ruka…"_

 _She felt her life draining, ending; her senses dulled, her world shattering. And then, she remembered._

" _No, this isn't it!" She declared. Then the world vanished around her. Her senses returned and her body livened. "Grimmjow?" He appeared beside her in the darkness, close and confident; strong like a king._

" _This is our army." He was staring out ahead of him and it persuaded her to do the same. Then they appeared, one by one, a horde of Hollows, all of various levels of strength standing before them and all bowing._

" _Our army?"_

She startled out of her sleep as she came back to her present. "What's wrong?" His voice was soothing and welcoming. It had been so long since she had last woken up to the sound of it.

She pushed herself so she was sitting straight, still straddling his hips from their previous engagement. "I-I just had a dream." She dismissed.

"You don't sound so sure." He mentioned as he tossed a lock of her hair out of her face. Her eyes were searching, wondering, and trying to comprehend if what Dairokkan had said was really true. What if the Sight was real? And what if she did have it?

"I'm not sure." She confirmed. He tilted his head curiously, holding back his mean retort, and waited for an explanation. She sighed, seeing the look in his face and knowing exactly what he was thinking. "I'm not crazy." She pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

He snorted in response, "I wasn't saying nothing." He teased.

She frowned before averting her gaze, attempting to muster up the courage to continue. Would he even believe something as crazy as the Sight?

"Do you believe in foresight?" She asked suddenly.

"Foresight? What like seeing into the future?" There was a hint of disbelief in his voice and her confidence wavered. But then her eyes fell upon her silent weapon.

"Sort of." She nodded while reaching down to grab her zanpakuto. "It can be anything from a feeling in the pit of your stomach that something is wrong, to having a vision of what can come in the future. The S4G called it the Sight. It was thought to be a powerful ability that those who suffered a heavy subtraction from their lives would gain in return. And they called those that had it Seers." She explained carefully. "Dairokkan told me I had it." Her eyes flickered back towards his to gauge his reaction.

"And what is it that you saw?" He asked, his tone completely lacking any judgement or disdain which surprised her.

"I saw us fighting Zev alone and dying." She said at first. He watched her carefully, taking in everything she was telling him. "And then I knew it wasn't right. I felt that something was wrong. And then it changed to us standing before an army of Hollows cheering you."

He remained quiet, trying to process what she was saying or at least allowing her to attempt to process it.

"This isn't the first time this has happened. Back when he was holding me hostage, I had a dream that I was being cut apart by Vasto Lordes. And then it happened…" She whispered. His grip around her arm tightened as his jaw clenched. "I know I'm not crazy, but if this is real…If I'm seeing things that could potentially happen…I think it's a warning."

"A warning…" His voice rumbled, urging her to continue her train of thought.

"Yes. I think it's a warning that if we do this alone, then we are going to die." Her hand clenched around the hilt of Dairokkan to the point it was shaking.

Grimmjow grabbed it with his free fist, steadying it with his powerful grip. "What do you suggest we do then?" He asked as his sapphire gaze bore into her.

"Do you know how to get to the Forest of Menos?"

A grin suddenly split his face, "Sure, Kitten."

* * *

The air was getting louder. Even through the thick walls of the palace, she could hear it; the vibrating, screeching sounds those things made with their reiatsu. She knew they wouldn't have much time left.

"All finished, Neliel-sama!" Pesche declared as he watched the medic finish healing Nel's injuries.

"Pesche, Dondochakka…" She began, pausing as her fraccion looked her way. "Please be careful."

The two stared for a moment at their melancholy leader. She could not hold their gaze, her pained expression off to the side. It was unlike what they were used to. "Don't worry about us, Nel-sama! Pesche and me are always good at taking care of ourselves!" Dondochakka announced as tears started forming at the corners of his eyes.

"Don't start crying you big oaf! You'll worry her!" Pesche yelled while slamming his fist down onto Dondachakka's head.

"I can't help it Pesche! I hate seeing Nel-sama so worried!" He replied while sprinting away from Pesche.

"I said stop it!" Pesche continued to chase the goofy Arrancar around the room as Nel remained where she was, a small smile pulling at her lips at their antics.

" _Whatever happens, I'll always take care of you two."_ She thought to herself before getting to a stand, causing her two fraccion to freeze in place. "It's time to go."

They immediately straightened, saluting Nel simultaneously, and called out, "Yes, Nel-sama!"

The three joined the hordes of other Arrancar situated at the front gate. Halibel's fraccion had placed themselves on the wall, watching the incoming horde of Vasto Lordes and updating those waiting for the inevitable.

It wasn't long before Halibel was joining them, her elegance a calming reminder of who was leading them. "We have spent a lifetime in constant war. We have endured more than any soul imaginable. And we have survived. This will be no exception. We will fight for the little we have gained here. We will fight for our peace. We will fight for an end to our suffering." She announced to her small but powerful army.

"We are with you, Halibel-sama!" The warriors announced in unison, all bowing to her.

"Here they come!" Sung-sun yelled just before the first crash against the wall was heard. Then subsequent smashing and crunching followed. "They are throwing themselves into the wall…" She said, horrified.

"Zev has no regard for any life except his own." Halibel responded. "Much like Aizen." She added quietly.

Nel kept her eyes trained on the wall with her sword extended. Each thud brought with it the expectation of the wall's destruction. Above her, Halibel and her fraccion had begun attacking from afar. "Cascada!" Halibel shouted, pulling whatever little moisture this world had and flinging it in an oceanic-sized wave on top of their enemy. The thudding had paused for several minutes before beginning again.

"They are relentless." Sung-sun breathed.

"They are mindless." Apacci corrected.

Eventually, Nel grew tired of waiting. "Pesche, Dondochakka, stay here." She said to her fraccion before leaping onto the wall beside Halibel and her fraccion. "Halibel, we need to keep them from breaking through the wall." She announced before her eyes reached the sandy reaches beyond; except wherever sand should be stood one of those faceless beings.

"It would be throwing them to a slaughter." Halibel stated as Nel's eyes absorbed the terrible sight.

"Halibel…" Nel looked over to Hueco Mundo's proclaimed queen who had paused in her assault to witness the coming destruction. "What are we going to do?"

* * *

It was a tiny pang of wetness hitting her cheek that drew her attention to the sky. "Rain?" Up until that point she had been counting boulders while perched on Grimmjow's back as he carried her through the Hueco Mundo desert. She was up to forty-two.

"It ain't rain. It's Halibel's Cascada." Grimmjow mentioned as his grip on her legs tightened slightly. Haruka grew quiet, knowing exactly what it meant. Her hands tightened their hold on his shoulders, silently urging him to hurry.

His pace increased. He was betting everything on Haruka's instincts now, but even he knew it would all be for nothing if they returned to Las Noches and everyone was dead. He had to trust she knew what she was doing. "Ruka!"

"Yea?"

"Hold on tight." Before she could even register what he had said, he was blasting through a soft spot in the sands.

"Grimmjow!" Her screeching was quickly snuffed out by the engulfing sands around them. He felt her arms clinging around his neck. Her face buried into his back, shielding her eyes from the stinging sands. It took a little longer than usual and just when he thought he might have made a mistake, they were bursting through the ceiling of the forest.

Her quiet gasps were all he heard as he landed on the forest floor. It was as he remembered it, large trees of quartz reaching for sandy skies above. It brought back memories of a time he spent navigating this place, devouring those that came before him. It wasn't as it should be.

"This is it?" She whispered in awe as her eyes finally peered out from his shoulder.

"Yea. This is it." He said in return while releasing her to the ground.

"Where are all the Hollows?" Her eyes scanned the entire area, her body twisting as she looked.

"Hiding; probably from the moment they sensed my reishi coming." He remarked.

"Great. How are we going to draw them out?" She asked in a near pout.

Grimmjow looked around while briefly feeling out for any signs of reiatsu. When he didn't sense anything spectacular, his gaze settled onto his violet-haired Shinigami. "I think I might have an idea."

* * *

"Bring me the next subject." The tall, scary Arrancar commanded.

"You won't get away with this Zev." Neliel returned. She was forced up the stairs leading to the throne by several Vasto Lordes. Her injuries were extensive. After Halibel had been subdued, it was only a matter of time before the rest of them were forced to the same fate.

"Place her here." Zev pointed to a spot to the left, between two other white cocoons.

Neliel struggled as she was moved to the location. "I will never be your slave!" She shouted.

"We shall see." He smiled as he brought his open palm up to her chest, revealing a small white orb. In an instant, it exploded around her, consuming her entirely in a white shell just like the others.

"It will take some time for the transformation on these Arrancars to complete. They will resist. Alert me if you sense that brute coming this way." Zev mentioned idly while taking a seat in the broken throne.

"Nel-sama." A quivering voice came from a door on the side of the room, one that Zev did not notice.

"Keep quiet, Dondochakka! They'll hear us!" Pesche hissed to the trembling Arrancar beside him. The door was cracked open in front of them, allowing just enough light in for them to see one another bathed in shadow. On the opposite side of the door stood one of those faceless things. Its head moved from side to side as if searching, a low vibrating noise similar to a growl filling whatever silence there was.

"I can't help it Pesche!" Dondochakka replied a little too loudly. "I'm scared!"

The creature turned violently, the low growl becoming a high pitched screech. "Run for it, Dondochakka!" Pesche screeched as he clung to Dondochakka's back; who subsequently burst through the door and into the main hall.

"Fools." Zev muttered as he lazily observed the two fleeing Arrancars charge through his minions unscathed. "They are so weak that I did not even notice their pathetic reiatsu." Zev pressed his chin to his palm, his expression bored. "Don't bother. I don't need to waste my resources on those two…things."

He waved his hand at them just before they burst through the main doors and sprinted away from Las Noches.

* * *

She had to admit, this was a decent idea. She was a little jealous she didn't think of it first. "I must be rubbing off on him." She smirked to herself as she walked leisurely through the quartz forest. She knew he was watching her from somewhere, despite not being able to feel his reishi. As good as she was at sensing spirit energy, he was even better at hiding it; a testament to his true predatory nature.

Regardless of the fact that she was being closely watched, she was still sure to keep her senses clear. It was still dangerous, especially for a wandering lone Shinigami. "Well, well, well- what do we have here?" A snake-like voice hissed in her direction. Her gaze immediately trained to the direction it came, falling on a large slithering Hollow.

"An Adjuchas." Haruka stated. "Perfect."

"What's a little Shinigami like you doing in a place like this?" His voice was filled with sleek satisfaction as he crawled slowly towards her.

"Looking to help you." She replied.

The Hollow released a guttural laugh. "Help me? Oh I know how you can help me."

"By killing Zev." She said stone-faced.

The Adjuchas paused in his movements, his obvious amusement fleeing him. "How do you know Zev?"

"He's been kidnapping Adjuchas, hasn't he? He has to be creating his mutated Vasto Lordes somehow." She mentioned casually. "Is that why you were hiding?"

"I wasn't hiding." He hissed bitterly. "And I don't like Shinigami butting into Adjuchas affairs."

"It won't matter much once you get scooped up by him and his minions." She prodded.

"I'll show you, Shinigami, exactly where you stand!" He shouted just before charging her.

Her clothes fluttered from the sheer force of her lover's quick arrival. With a single forearm he stopped the attacking Adjuchas, doing all he could to practice restraint from ripping the thing in two. With complete terror, the Hollow instantly realized its error. "G-grimmjow-sama?" He stuttered out while immediately slithering back.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, freezing the creature in place just with words.

"This Shinigami is yours?" He asked, obviously startled at his own realization.

"You have a problem with that?" Grimmjow snapped in return.

"No, no of course not!" The Hollow stammered before bowing. "P-please, Grimmjow-sama, I beg your forgiveness."

"You want my forgiveness? Then go into these woods and gather every last fucking Hollow you can find and bring them back to that gorge over there. You have one hour."

"B-but, what do you want with us?" He asked nervously.

"I think my Shinigami made that clear." He growled. "Your clock already started ticking, snake. Now go."

"Ah, yes, Grimmjow-sama!" He screeched before turning to rush off in a cloud of dust.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" Haruka asked.

"Who knows?"

"Really reassuring, babe."

He cocked his head to the side, regarding her endearing term for a brief moment, before turning completely to view their agreed meeting spot. It was perfect, really. A flattened area that had been cleared of any structures and was big enough to hold a large number of Hollows. A high cliff surrounded more than half of the area opposite to them, a perfect place to perch themselves for all to view…safely.

"So what do we do while we wait?" She asked suddenly. He glanced over at her, instantly noticing her anxiety. As much as she tried to preach patience, he knew she hated waiting. It made her uneasy and there were only two ways he could think to ease that.

"I can think of a couple things, Kitten." He mentioned. A warm blush flourished her cheeks and he had to stifle his smirk. " _So easy."_ He thought, his ego purring at the images he evoked in her at even the slightest suggestion. But even he knew now wasn't the time for that.

He pulled his sword free and turned to face her. "But I think we need to work on you."

Her face sullied as her eyes drifted to the hilt of her own weapon. "Yea." She replied half-heartedly.

"Ruka, you ain't going to get her back by ignoring her." He said as he approached her. His large, calloused palm dropped to her shoulder, bringing her attention back to him. "Ain't that how the bond broke to begin with?"

She felt shame churning in her stomach. "Probably." She answered while averting her gaze.

"Why don't you trust her?" He asked. His question shocked her, her wide-eyed stare coming back to meet his solid sapphire gaze.

"It's just-" She paused, trying to gather her explanation in a way that made sense to her. "She's every doubt I've ever had; every hatred and every sorrow and every fear. I feel like I've put every negative thing I've ever experienced into her. She echoes every terrible thing that could happen and I never listen. I never listen."

He watched her carefully, considering the way her eyes wandered and searched. However, the answer isn't what enlightens, but the question.

"How can I trust an entity that doesn't trust me?" She whispered. "I'm tired of feeling guilty. I'm tired of blaming myself for getting my zanpakuto sealed away. I did the best I could under the circumstances and I cannot change the past. If Dairokkan is going to judge everything I do based on what I did in the past, then I don't think I'm ever going to be able to repair this."

"Ruka, maybe you just need to let go." He mentioned while moving towards the open gorge.

"Let go?" Confusion lined her brow as she followed him, unsheathing her zanpakuto in the process.

"For all the preaching you do that our pasts don't define us, yours sure does weigh heavy on you." He pointed out while facing her, motioning for her to drop into stance. "It all influences us in a way, right? It's just how we come out of it in the end."

She swallowed hard as she contemplated his words. Maybe she was clinging to her past. Maybe that's why Dairokkan was still silent, complacent as it was back then. "Void, Dairokkan." She said as her reiatsu swirled around her. She pushed it all into waking her weapon, but got nothing in return.

She shifted her body, her heels scraping against the sand as she took off in a flash of shunpo. Her sword collided with his, the two scraping against one another as she pushed her body weight into him. His muscles bulged as he held her in place, his toes digging into the dust.

"Raito o keshimasu!" She shouted as she pushed with all her might. Her sword ground against his, sliding as he deflected it up and to the side. Deflated, she hopped back while staring at the powerless weapon. "Nothing." She muttered.

"That ain't a reason to stop trying!" He declared as he suddenly appeared above her. His sword came crashing down towards her, forcing her to raise Dairokkan to the sky. With a grunt, she held the weight of his weapon, one had gripped tight around the hilt and the other pressed firmly against the blade. She rolled swiftly to the side before sending a kick into his ribs. He caught her ankle with his free hand and tugged, sending her to the ground. "You ain't even trying." He accused.

"Fuck you!" She kicked her ankle free before rolling backwards and leaping to her feet. Again, she charged him in a flurry of swipes aimed at his head. He dodged and parried effortlessly causing her to have to mix in punches and kicks in an attempt to catch him off guard. It was all a futile effort for a man as quick and nimble as Grimmjow.

With an aggravated cry, she charged him full strength, pushing every last ounce of reiatsu she could into the attack. With one swift shift, he slid around her and used her own forward energy to push her into the rocky cliff beside them. He pinned her body in place with his own, his strong grip holding her weapon at bay until she voluntarily dropped it. The thud reverberated through the gorge, ripping at the after silence.

Anger and frustration caused her limbs to fight and struggle against their hold. "This is bullshit!" She cried. "How can I be so fucking powerless without this stupid sword!?" She managed to free her leg enough to send a forceful kick into her zanpakuto, sending it skittering across the sands.

"Enough, Haruka." He returned firmly, holding her in place as her fury slowly morphed into utter sorrow.

"How can I fight by your side when I can't even fight for myself?"

He loosened his grip, allowing her to lean forward into his embrace. She buried her face against his shoulder, taking comfort in him accepting her exactly how she was.

" _We have to accept our faults, our doubts, our fears as something that is a part of us. It is something that makes us who we are, Haruka. Do not reject them. Embrace them. Let all the beautiful parts of you work together in glorious harmony."_

The thought flickered across her mind so quickly that it brought a sense of shock. It wasn't so much the thought as it was the memory of who had said it. It was a person who had left her life long, long ago and one she had not thought about in eons.

She pushed herself up and away from him slightly despite his continued embrace. Her eyes looked over to her zanpakuto that rested in the sands, seemingly waiting for someone to come. With a bit more force, she broke free of Grimmjow's hold. He silently watched as she walked calmly over to her weapon and kneeled beside it. Her palms pressed against her knees as her eyes slid shut, her focus falling to her sword. Grimmjow took a few steps towards her before sitting leisurely beside them, his gaze focused on the entrance to the gorge for any incoming Hollows.

She was going to need some time to get this right.

* * *

It was as open as a desert, an endless sandy field drenched in purple dusk. Her eyes strained to see ahead of her, though there wasn't much to take in. It was a vast emptiness void of everything she was. She traveled it, listening and patiently searching in hopes to find what it was she lost. It was almost funny that after all this time she now finally realized what it was her mother had been talking about.

" _Do you know what a zanpakuto really is, Haruka?" Her mother's soft voice had asked. It felt like it was worlds away; that her mind was slipping back a thousand years just to hear that terrific sound._

" _A weapon?" She, in all her childhood naivety, asked._

" _It is the embodiment of the Shinigami's power, but it is also a separation. If the zanpakuto and the Shinigami are not in perfect harmony with one another, then their bond will break and a zanpakuto will be nothing more than a flimsy old sword."_

" _It must be hard to be in perfect harmony with something that is separate from yourself." An inquisitive thought from such a small child made her mother all the more proud._

" _Indeed. Shinigami spend so much time trying to figure out how to separate their power into a weapon when they should be trying to figure out how to unite the two." Her mother had criticized._

Haruka attempted to shake the memory from her mind, but it sat there replaying over and over. That in and of itself told her the significance it held over her disconnected part. "Dairokkan?"

It had felt like years had passed before she finally found that tiny voice locked in on itself.

"You forgot all about her." A bitter sounding noise accused.

"I did." Haruka affirmed as she approached a crouched figure. "I was always told we didn't have parents."

"I didn't forget." She mocked.

"I know." She replied as the being stood and turned to face her. She was cloaked in shadow, but it wasn't enough to hide the fact the other person looked exactly like Haruka.

"Are you finally going to stop viewing me as nothing more than a gate to your abilities?" The tone was harsh, but also filled with hurt.

"Is that what you really think?" She asked, sympathetic.

"Everything I've said was to your benefit yet you constantly disregard me. You use me for your agenda and then toss me aside when I am an inconvenience." She accused, anger and fury rolling off of her.

"I'm sorry…"

"It isn't good enough, Har-"

"But you need to trust me, too. You doubt everything that I am, everything I do. You don't trust me with your power and I need to prove to you otherwise. I need to prove to you that we are one being." Haruka's voice was filled with determination.

Dairokkan took a step back as her brow furrowed. "Very well. Show me that you're as powerful as everyone claimed you were."

"Get ready, then." Haruka declared just before charging. The two got lost in a flurry of limbs as each one attempted to get a hit on the other. Haruka aimed for her head, her fist connecting with Dairokkan's palm before she sent her foot into her chest and sent her skidding backwards.

"You won't win this." Dairokkan declared as a sword fell from the sky above, landing point-down in the sand in front of her. She gripped the hilt and pulled it free. Haruka glanced around, looking for anything she could use as a weapon. "You need me to fight. I am your power. How do you expect to beat me when you are so pathetic on your own?" She sneered.

"You're forgetting one important detail, Dairokkan."

" _We all argue with ourselves from time to time, Haruka. We all suffer from indecision, from doubt. But what is important to remember is that even after all that self-reflection, we are still who we were meant to be. We are still one complete soul."_

"And what's that, Haruka?"

" _And even if we lose ourselves or lose our way, we can always get it back. Forgiveness isn't just for others. It is for our own self as well."_

"No matter what happens, we are still one." Haruka declared. As soon as the last word left her lips, she reached her hands forwards, her grasp coming around the hilt of a forming sword. Inch by inch, the weapon formed until it was complete; a perfect match to the one in Dairokkan's hand.

"Tch." Dairokkan spat. The two stared at one another for several minutes, a gentle wind blowing violet sand across the space in front of them. Then, simultaneously they struck, both charging one another. "Raito o keshimasu!"

* * *

It was her startled gasp that had his attention on her once again. Blood had started trickling from the corner of her mouth. He grimaced while pushing himself to a stand. With two leisurely strides, he was in front of her. He dropped to his knees slowly before wiping his thumb to where the blood was. "You can do this, Ruka." He said quietly. "If anyone believes in you, it's me. And you can tell that to your dumb sword too." He added. "You're not supposed to give up on those you care about."

His mind wandered briefly to the events leading up to now. He wondered what kind of crazy declaration she made just before jumping into a garganta to come back to this shit hole. He remembered asking her why the fuck she would do something so stupid. Now the answer seemed simple. "Because you don't give up on those you care about. No matter how stupid it is."

He grumbled while turning back towards the opening in the gorge, stretching his legs out while waiting rather impatiently for those Hollows to show. As much as he hated to admit it, without a decent number of allies to fend off the hordes of Vasto Lordes, they didn't stand a chance. They were going to need all their attention on Zev.

And he already knew Halibel had failed. He knew the minute he felt her Cascada. They were dead in the water.

Just how long had they been sitting out here anyway? He had told the snake to be back in an hour, but really how the hell did he know when an hour passed? He had assumed the bastard would run out, grab a few of his friends and come stumbling back.

Or maybe not.

Really it was just a shot in the dark, one he was betting on Haruka's instincts. What other choice did they have at this point?

His head fell back as his eyes moved to the sandy sky. "Fucking Hollows; they ain't ever reliable."

* * *

A pained cry echoed across the empty desert as the stinging metal sliced into Haruka's forearm. It had felt like hours had passed since they started this endless battle, though the environment was stuck in time. The moon still remained a bright crescent directly above them, glistening the fresh red wounds that adorned both of them.

They stood facing one another, both breathless. "What will it take for you to trust me?" Haruka bellowed.

Dairokkan sneered. "Maybe stop ruining our life over and over again for starters. Start protecting yourself from manipulative people. Stop trusting everyone you see!" She charged again, her sword bright like a storm. Haruka blocked the incoming attack with her own blade, a cloud exploding around them.

"I am not ruining our life." She argued while jumping back, gaining some distance.

"Every decision you have made has brought us suffering. We have lost everything we cared about and just when we think we finally have some peace, you bring more chaos into it!" Again she charged, her weapon slashing at Haruka's head.

"And you'd rather we isolate ourselves, turn our back on those in need and be alone forever?" Haruka screamed back, their swords pressed against one another in a battle of equal strength. One last final blast of reiatsu had them both skidding back in the sand.

Dairokkan paused, her sword dipping to her side momentarily, "we were never alone. We always had each other. You don't remember. You never remember. From the moment Mother died, we promised each other that we would always have one another."

"From that moment on we got pulled into one chaotic situation after another. We were placed with the S4G at such a young age that it became your only world. I was just your weapon that you used to fight off all your fears, your doubts, and your hate."

Haruka remained pinned in place, listening to her zanpakuto retell a time she did her best to forget.

"I became your enemy." She accused.

"That's not true!" Haruka shouted back.

"We were enemies before I was even sealed away. You hated me."

"It's nothing but lies. I never hated you."

"That's why you looked to these other people to protect you, to guide you. You never felt you could stand on your own feet no matter how many times I leant myself to you. You followed martyrs, you followed traitors, and now you follow murderers. I can't trust you, Haruka, because you don't trust yourself."

The statement stunned her into silence. Her throat was completely dry, her tongue getting stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her sword quivered in her shaky grip.

" _The world is not easy, Haruka. We will suffer, we will feel pain, and we will know tragedy. But, we will also know good, we will see joy, and we will experience wonder. It is called balance and it is something we all must learn. Perfect balance means perfect harmony."_

"She always used to lecture us." Haruka said quietly, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "She lectured us because she knew she wasn't going to be there for very long. When she died, I pushed her out. I pushed everything she tried to teach me away because all of it was just a bad memory. I ended up splitting myself in two. You and me."

"She had the Sight." Dairokkan replied. "And she saw what we would become. She attempted to stop it. But not everything is a variable. Some things are just constants."

"But remembering now, seeing everything like this…" Haruka dropped her weapon, the lifeless sword slowly twisting through the air as it fell. She burst forth in a wave of shunpo, approaching her separated self. Before Dairokkan could even make a move, Haruka was colliding with her, her arms wrapping around her neck and her face burying in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Perhaps there is still a chance to change our path." Her zanpakuto mentioned as her weapon fell from limp fingers, the two swords hitting the ground simultaneously.

"I promise. I will be strong for both of us." Haruka declared quietly.

"Then do it." Dairokkan replied before wrapping her arms around Haruka. Her body slowly melded into her, bringing Haruka's reiatsu to life with burning force. A ragged cry tore from her lips as pain consumed her into darkness.

* * *

A burst of explosive reiatsu erupted around Haruka. He was on his feet in an instant, watching as the purple energy seemingly enveloped her. Her eyes shot open and an agonizing scream left her lungs.

"Ruka!" He shouted while attempting to approach, but the energy literally burned him. He watched in horror as her muscles clenched painfully, her back arching and teeth clenching. Then as quickly as it came, the energy vanished. Haruka collapsed forward and he was there instantly to catch her. "Ruka."

Her breathing came in long desperate gasps. "I did it." She sputtered out.

He sighed before grinning. "Of course you did. You ain't allowed to lose." He teased while running his hand through her hair.

She choked out a sarcastic laugh. Her hand reached over and grasped the hilt of her zanpakuto, regarding it warmly before pushing it back to its sheath.

"Grimmjow-sama?" An interrupting voice had Grimmjow's head spinning to the gorge entrance. There stood a horde of Hollows, regarding the two of them cautiously. "What kind of power was that?"

"One that you're going to want on your side." He answered simply. He grabbed Haruka and took off in a blast of sonido until he was situated at the top of the gorge and looking down over the numerous Hollow that had assembled. Haruka stood beside him, taking in the view and comparing it to her dream. The similarities were unsettling.

"You always said you wanted to be king. Now is the time to give it a shot." Haruka half-joked.

Grimmjow glanced over to her, his look meaningful. "You sure you want to be queen of this lot?"

She snorted. "I could be queen of the pond toads and it would be a step up from my current status of 'ex-Shinigami hiding in the World of the Living'." He rolled his eyes and she grew serious. "This will probably be our only chance. Let's do this right."

"Yea." He affirmed before finally giving the group below his attention. They had moved into the gorge, an action that showed substantial trust as they were all very much trapped in that little valley. "You're all living in hiding down here, scraping together some kind of existence." He started.

"We aren't all as fortunate as you, Espada-sama." One of the Adjuchas hissed. The others looked at him horrified and subsequently backed away.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You all think I got a free ticket to luxury. I ain't here to kill you. And I ain't here to gloat in your faces."

"Then why are you here?" Another grumbled.

"To give you a chance to fight for a home and maybe a little bit of normalcy." He offered.

Talk exploded throughout the crowd, which sounded more like angry snarls and growls to Haruka. But, at the very least, it had gotten their attention. "You all know what's happening. The strongest of you are vanishing practically out of thin air to go serve a man who gives you nothing in return. Zev."

More angry noises erupted from the crowd of Hollows. "I didn't think they'd be receptive to rational thought." Haruka whispered.

"There are two things all Hollows want, Ruka, and that's to be a little less hungry and a little less miserable. They have fears like any other soul. At the end of the day, they don't want to die either." He mumbled back while waiting for the crowd to die down.

"And what do you want from us?" One of them questioned.

"I need you to fight with me. I need an army to take on his army so I can get my hands on his throat." He practically snarled and the crowd cheered. "After that, if we succeed, you can live in Las Noches. And you won't have to hide and starve anymore."

The cheering continued. "Anyone who wants in can march with me. The rest of you can rot in the forest."

Only a handful of Hollows broke from the group and meandered back into the trees. " _Cowards."_ Grimmjow thought to himself. If they couldn't fight for their own freedom, then they didn't deserve it. He glanced over to Haruka, whose eyes were still locked on the horde below them. She fought with everything she had no matter how many times she suffered for it. She deserved freedom from her past. But only she would be able to do that. He couldn't provide that for her.

"I guess this is our army." He mentioned idly.

She glanced up at him, a small contented smile pulling at her lips. "Our army…"

And so it was. A horde of Adjuchas and Gillian marched with Grimmjow and Haruka out of the dreaded Forest of Menos and towards the city of Las Noches.


	8. Chapter 7

_/* Hi all! Getting closer to the end! Thanks so much for sticking with me! I do plan on revising this and the Futile Repent as I know there are some plot holes and I'm sure grammatical/spelling errors. One of these days my life will be a little less crazy and I'll have more time for my writing. Anyway, here is chapter 7. Enjoy and thanks for reading! */_

* * *

Chapter 7 -

They had marched for hours, keeping a reasonable pace for the army at their back. While reenergized from her rejoining with Dairokkan, she still felt the journey exhausting her. She had to keep a strong image, however. She was surrounded on all sides by creatures that would have normally killed her without hesitation. She could not show weakness, not just for her wellbeing but also for Grimmjow's. If it showed he chose to associate with a weak Shinigami-

"Great, not those two goons. Of all the Arrancar to get away from Zev." Grimmjow scoffed, pulling Haruka's attention away from her wandering thoughts. She looked into the distance as two familiar Arrancars were frantically waving their arms in the air and sprinting towards them.

Haruka poked Grimmjow in the side as a warning and earned a disgruntled look before turning towards two incoming flailing bodies. "Grimm-Grimm-sama! Ruki-sama!" Pesche shouted as he came towards them.

Haruka rolled her eyes as Grimmjow's jaw clenched. "Don't call me Grimm-Grimm."

Pesche arrived first, but was so out of breath he couldn't speak. He hunched over, gasping for air. "It's a- Nel-sama is- Phew-"

"Will you spit it out, you scrawny piece of-" Grimmjow began but Haruka held her hand to his chest, causing him to pause.

"Pesche, tell me what happened." Haruka attempted.

"It's Nel-sama!" He choked out. "She's-ooff!" Just as he was about to get his explanation out, a large weeping Dondochakka collided with him. The two of them rolled forward, their limbs entangled and groaning uncomfortably.

"Fucking kidding me." Grimmjow sputtered as he grasped Haruka's blocking hand and gently pulled it out of his way. He took two large strides forward before sending a powerful kick into the top blob and grabbing the scrawny second blob by the neck. "Spit-it-out." He enunciated, his snarling teeth inches from Pesche's face.

"M-my apologies, Grimm-Grimm-sama!" Pesche waved his hands defensively.

"Grimmjow…" Haruka's voice was enough to keep him from ripping the Arrancar in two, but only for a limited amount of time.

"Nel-sama is being turned into one of those things!" Dondochakka suddenly intervened, his head popping up between Grimmjow and Pesche's faces despite them being inches from each other.

Annoyed, Grimmjow dropped Pesche right on top of the chubby Arrancar, causing the two to entangle themselves once more. "Gah, Pesche that hurts! Get off of me!"

"It's not my fault Grimm-Grimm-sama dropped me!" He whined.

"Wait. You said Nel is being turned into a mutated Arrancar?" Haruka asked, her voice mirroring her shocked panic.

The two Arrancars paused, staring at the purple-haired Shinigami. Then they nodded their affirmation. "Halibel-sama, too."

"Shit." Grimmjow cursed.

"They were enclosed in this funny white stuff." Dondochakka tried to explain.

"Funny white stuff! Dondochakka, let me explain it. You make it sound inappropriate for young ears." Pesche straightened up. "What he means is that all the Arrancars are all being covered with this funny white goo…"

"That doesn't sound any better, Pesche!" Dondochakka accused.

"Both of you shut up." Grimmjow snapped. "Ruka, if he's turning all the Arrancar into his mutated asshole minions…"

"We have to get to him before the transformation is complete." She finished his statement. "Does anyone know how long this process usually takes?" She asked to a group of Hollows that were near them.

"We've never seen it." They mentioned.

"If I know Halibel, she'll resist it until she's dead. Same with Nel and the fraccion. Not sure about the rest of the Arrancar under her watch, though. We should hopefully have some time." Grimmjow rationalized.

"I'd rather not test that theory. Let's go."

* * *

He felt the pulse of that sapphire fire in the distance long before his minions. It surprised him. He had expected it sooner and not only that, but a full fury of pure hatred and agony for killing his Shinigami wench. The thought hadn't occurred to him that she had actually survived the onslaught. He had felt her reishi diminish to nearly nothing just before leaving his complex and beginning his march on Las Noches. He was certain she was dead.

But there it was, a vibrant violet flame pulsing next to that suffocating blue beast. He grimaced, his teeth actually grinding in irritation as he continued sensing other chaotic storms beyond them. "Idiots think they can challenge me with a ragtag crew of reject Hollows?" He bellowed while standing. He stormed through the hall and out to the battlements. There, much like he had done previously, was a horde of Hollows with Grimmjow and Haruka at their front. "What fools. They will suffer for this."

With an outstretched hand he pulsed his reiatsu outward, calling to his minions with his orders. "Come to me!" What followed was a deafening sound of screeching auras as his minions moved through the sands and towards the battlements.

* * *

They were close enough now to see the damage that was done. Many of the walls had holes in them, created as entry points for the enemy no doubt. The main gates themselves had been smashed to pieces. It was a wonder any of the battlements were even still standing. It worried Haruka tremendously.

"Stay close to me." Grimmjow commanded as he sensed the incoming chaos moving through the sands.

She nodded once while unsheathing her zanpakuto.

"Your enemy is upon us." Grimmjow announced. "Strike now or die."

As soon as the final word left his lips, an explosion of sand ripped around them and revealed the very creatures they were dreading. Haruka's sword connected with the mutant nearest to her. "Void, Dairrokkan!" She yelled, her reiatsu flying to life with more intensity than she had ever felt before. "Raioto o keshimasu!"

A wave of dark energy encompassed the creature, a muffled screech emanating from it. When the smoke finally cleared, all that remained was a scorched pile of remains. Grimmjow smirked. "Now you've got it." He praised before attacking his own monster and slashing it in two.

Haruka grinned before her eyes fell to the next in line. She dealt with that one in a similar fashion, dodging its incoming swipe before slicing it in two. Around her, hordes of Hollows collided with the faceless Vasto Lordes.

"Ruka! We have to move!" Grimmjow shouted over the deafening screeching. She glanced away from her current enemy just long enough to see her lover urging her towards him. She sent a blast of reiatsu towards the faceless being before leaping towards the beacon of blue.

"Do you see him?" She asked as she reached him, dodging flailing limbs and blasts of energy.

"No, but I know he's there." He said firmly as they managed to get a small amount of distance from the war behind them. His gaze fell to the battlements of Las Noches that still seemed eons away, his brow creasing in thought before he began looking around.

"What are you thinking?" She asked gently.

"We need to free the Arrancars before the transformation is finished." He said quickly, a Vasto Lorde appearing close by and attacking them. Grimmjow impaled his outstretched arm through its chest before tossing it to the side. "We ain't getting passed Zev. I need to take him head on so you can get to Nel and the others."

"Grimmjow-"

"We can't kill him alone, Ruka. I've been trying for months to down the bastard on my own, but you saw how well that went." He spat. He sounded ashamed and disgusted with himself. "I ain't going to be an ignorant idiot anymore."

Gentle fingertips pressed into either side of his face, directing his sapphire gaze to her purple orbs. "Don't get yourself killed in the meantime."

"Don't fucking take too long and it won't be a problem." He teased, though her face remained serious. "Haruka-don't do anything stupid." His thumb followed the line if her cheekbone before grasping her chin and bringing his lips to hers.

It was a quick, but meaningful gesture, enough to show his gut wrenching worry. But he had to trust her. They wouldn't win otherwise. "I won't." She affirmed.

He took a few steps back, looking around as more and more of his own army was pushing through the mindless creatures. "Move forward!" He shouted before taking off, eliminating any foe that got in his way.

Haruka watched as he charged, a longing look gnarling her features. Then, she too followed, a warring cry leaving her lips as she sliced through yet another enemy.

They continued to charge, tackling hill after hill, enemy after enemy, until they reached the top of the final embankment leading down to the walls of Las Noches. Then the horrors of what they were facing were truly revealed.

Haruka reached Grimmjow, pushing through their army of Hollows who were granted a short reprieve from the fighting. He stood there, staring out at their task in front of them. It was a sea of white, an endless army blocking their way.

They said nothing as they stood side by side, attempting to process just how they were going to defeat them. "There must be thousands of them." Haruka remarked barely above a whisper.

Grimmjow snarled, baring teeth at the enemy horde that, for whatever reason, remained as still as a windless pond. He knew that the quiet wouldn't last long, however. "Where is Nel's idiot fraccion?" He barked.

A few seconds later, the muffled struggles of Dondochakka and Pesche were slowly making their way to the front of the group. The two were thrown from the crowd, landing right in front of Grimmjow and Haruka just before they attempted to run away. Grimmjow roughly grasped Pesche's ankle and pulled, leaving the flailing Arrancar upside down. "Where do you think you're going?" Grimmjow half smirked around his displeased snarl.

"Uh, we were just going to see if anyone needed our assistance! W-we are not suitable for the front lines Grimm-Grimm-sama. I mean look at Dondochakka! He's so chubby he could easily get in the way!" Pesche attempted to rationalize.

"Me? Pesche you're so skinny and frail that these Vasto Lordes would break you in half." Dondochakka argued.

Suddenly Pesche was standing right side up and out of Grimmjow's grasp, much to Grimmjow's surprise. "Skinny and frail?! Dondochakka, I'll have you know that I can carry three of you atop my shoulders-ack!"

"Oi, shut up." Grimmjow wrapped his fingers around Pesche's thin neck. "Listen to me very carefully. I want you two idiots to take Ruka in the side entrance. Take her to where Nel and Halibel are being held."

"The side entrance! We know where that is, right Pesche!?" Dondochakka said excitedly.

"You think he doesn't know about it?" Haruka asked as Grimmjow released Pesche's throat.

"It was built long after he was around. It was Szayelaporro's little pet project." Grimmjow answered.

Haruka adjusted her zanpakuto and sighed. "Ok, it's worth a shot. Let's go you guys." She ordered Nel's fraccion who saluted her in response.

Before they could leave, however, a strong grip wrapped around her forearm. "If he has discovered it, get the hell out of there. Don't get yourself trapped." Grimmjow said firmly.

"I won't fail you." She returned, her gaze hardening with determination.

"Nothing you do is ever a failure to me." He whispered.

She allowed a small smile to pull at her lips for a breath of a second before her eyes glanced at the enemy horde one last time. "I will free them. Stay safe in the meantime." Her hand slid to the back of his neck, bringing his head towards her. She brushed her lips against his ear so that only he could hear her, "I love you."

She pulled back, giving him one last warm smile before turning towards her goal. Then there were arms around her, pulling her back against a hardened chest. Hot breath tickled against her ear. "In case I don't ever get the chance to say it-" He began, stopping just long enough to nuzzle against her neck, "I love you, too."

He didn't grant her enough time to even visibly respond. As quick as the last word left his lips, he was marching back to the front of his army. "We are outnumbered, but that does not mean we are defeated." He shouted to the group. Haruka let her violet gaze run along him one last time before she, too, turned and marched towards her mission. Regardless of what he said, she would not fail him; because her failure would mean his death. It would mean the death of all of them.

"We have something those bastards don't." She continued to hear his voice echo across the desert even as she and the fraccion sprinted away.

"Something worth living for…"

* * *

 _She ran._

 _She ran and ran and ran until the bottoms of her feet were raw from coarse sand and every muscle in her legs burned. The image of him, that last little piece of him where the rest had become monstrous, had been impaled on her weapon. This place was nothing but a hell. Aizen had brought her to hell._

 _It was where she had to kill the man she loved._

 _And where she had lost everything yet again._

 _So she ran. She ran back to that little entrance Aizen had shown her and the others. She ran back to him, like he was some kind of savior. He was not. And she would refuse to let him continue to destroy her._

 _But really, what else could she do, but run?_

Once again she found herself navigating through the maze like hallways. She was thankful at least Nel had taken her through not that long ago, less she get lost for countless hours following these two.

"No, no, no, Dondochakka. It's this way!"

"Wait, Pesche. I think you're going the wrong- _Ahhhh!_ "

"You two ok down there?" She called down from the top of the newly formed pit. "Oh and you were both wrong. It's that way up there." She said as she pointed towards an obscured hallway off to the side. If she hadn't been so lost in her own thoughts, she might have been able to stop them in time.

"Ruki-sama! Can you help us get out!?" Pesche's voice called from the darkness below.

Haruka sighed. "Let me see if I can find some rope or something." She looked around briefly before sprinting towards the correct hallway in search of anything. "Nothing." She breathed. She continued moving down the hallway, instinctually knowing she was nearing the main section of the palace.

As soon as she stepped through the doorway, a familiar looking beast was upon her. She cursed, dumbfounded at how she didn't even sense the slightest bit of its reishi. The creature's almost featureless face collided with her sword, its mask much harder than others she had been fighting. It was then she noticed the differences. This creature was much taller and broader than the others, something she didn't notice at first in the way it crawled on all limbs…all six of them. One other feature that was markedly different was the gaping mouth that housed many rows of sharp teeth set at the very bottom of the mask.

The monstrous being leaped away, the pointed bones protruding from its spine moved as it flexed its back. Long strings of liquid poured from the lipless chasm at the base of the mask as a deafening sound erupted from it.

"You're a little different." Haruka breathed inquisitively. The creature roared in response before charging her yet again. She grunted as she took the impact with her weapon. "Raito o keshimasu!" She shouted as her sword erupted with purple waves as high as the ceiling and consumed the creature.

When the waves of energy cleared, there was nothing. The mutated Arrancar, or at least that is what Haruka assumed, had completely vanished. Haruka's gaze travelled cautiously around the room, around pillars and in cracked doorways. Her sword was lifted, both hands steadily clasped around it as she strafed cautiously along the wall.

The further she moved into the palace, the more her hackles rose. Strange pulsing reiatsu overwhelmed this place. It drove her senses crazy as the very energy itself felt deformed and insane. It made it difficult to concentrate; impossible to even hear above the buzzing.

Perhaps that is why the monster was able to sneak up on her.

Her reflexes twitched as she felt its presence a mere breath from her. She swiped her sword, connecting with the grotesque cavern of its mouth just before it made contact with her arm. She cried out as its face forcefully pushed her, sending her into the next room skidding on her back. She rolled over backwards, using her hands and the force of the push to leap back to her feet. She dug her toes into the roughness of the stone floor, preparing for the next impact.

"Stop."

The new voice was familiar, even in its distortion. Haruka glanced to her left as the creature paused in its attack. A new sensation of utter dread fell upon her. "Nel…"

There, standing tall and hovering above the floor was her guide and companion in Hueco Mundo. The top of her head was covered in an ivory white shell that fell to her nose and consumed her skull completely around to the back of her head. Her beautiful green locks peeked out from beneath the base of it, cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Her mouth and chin were visible, but the rest of her was shadowed unevenly in that bright white shell. It ran over her body like forbidden tattoos, weaving in and out in no specific pattern. Haruka wondered to herself if maybe the transformation had yet to complete.

"Nel!" She shouted, though Nel did not move. She remained hovering there with her arm outstretched and the flat of her palm standing straight, signaling her command to the creature to halt. It was then Haruka was able to glance around the room. It was filled with round structures made of the same shell-like material that covered Nel. All of it made Haruka's skin crawl.

Nel's hand suddenly twisted down, pushing into a forward motion. "Come to me." She said. At first Haruka thought she was talking to her, until several of the large egg-like structures exploded open and revealed more horrific Arrancar mutations.

"You've got to be kidding me." Haruka cursed as she raised her sword defensively, watching as Nel's new minions congregated around her.

"Surrender." Nel's distorted tone ordered.

"Never." Haruka returned.

Silence followed for several long moments before the inevitable words left Nel's lifeless lips, "kill her."

Haruka grimaced before changing her stance, preparing for the onslaught. "Bankai."

* * *

"Haruka…" His voice was hoarse from the endless battle cries that erupted from his lungs. It was endless, this sea of monsters that just kept coming in waves. Yet at the feel of his Shinigami's Bankai, he felt a renewed urgency in his step, renewed vigor in his attacks. Another three foes fell at his swipe, another dozen at the explosion of his cero. He tore limbs from bodies, decapitated heads, bled hearts; anything to rid his home from these mindless things.

He glanced up at the battlements after each downed foe, keeping his gaze set on his true enemy. He would have to conserve as much of his energy as possible in order to fight him. He half wondered why Zev hadn't yet made an attempt at his life, but then again, Zev was calculating and impossibly patient; much like Aizen. Only when the fierce pulse of Haruka's Bankai was revealed did Zev turn, only a hint of concern marring his features. It was then Grimmjow knew he had to get to him. He had to keep him distracted long enough for Haruka to free the Arrancars.

"Oi, asshole!" He shouted over the mob of monsters. "Why don't you come down here and defend your claim?"

The taunt caused an amused smirk to lift the corner of Zev's mouth, yet he remained. "Maybe you can't see it from down there, Grimmjow, but from up here I see that your _army_ is getting smaller." He chuckled.

Grimmjow growled before glancing around. It was true. His army of Hollows was getting smaller. Compared to Zev's mindless horde of Vasto Lordes, his minions weren't much better. He was running out of time.

"All it takes is one of us to rip your heart out." He sneered in response, causing those left around him to rally.

"I will admit, Grimmjow, I did underestimate your desire to kill me. I never would have imagined you'd collect a horde of reject Hollows to try and take me down. It suits you though, the company that you keep. All of you are nothing but a bunch of failed rejects." Zev laughed maniacally. "The only thing missing from this group is that reject Shinigami you fawn over." His gaze shifted to the palace where he knew Haruka was currently. "I will go visit her soon. I can't afford her to meddle with my work. I have been sure to put in the proper precautions with that though."

Grimmjow's stomach twisted with instant apprehension. "You underestimate her." He growled.

"Do I? Why, then, do you suddenly look so worried?"

"Why don't you come down here and backup all your big talk?"

"I'd rather not waste my time with Aizen's failed experiments." His back turned to him, ready to retreat deeper into the castle. "My minions will deal with you."

"Grind, Pantera!" Grimmjow's reiatsu exploded, throwing back the Vasto Lordes nearest to him. He roared as he charged through the mass of bodies like a bright cero.

"This is so trivial." Zev sputtered as he halted, turning to meet Grimmjow's outstretched, razor sharp attack. He blocked effortlessly, the impact reverberating off of them and destroying the battlements. Grimmjow smashed a kick to the side of Zev's head that was subsequently blocked with an immovable hand. He followed it up with a series of punches, all of which Zev managed to dodge and block.

"Grimmjow-sama!" The call of his name had him leaping back, creating a bit of distance.

"What?" He snarled at the desperate Hollow.

"We are losing, Grimmjow-sama. We must retreat!" The Hollow sputtered.

"There is no retreating. If we don't win this, we all die." Grimmjow responded, his tone hardened and emotionless. He didn't stay to see the Hollow's response, a desire to destroy Zev fueling his motivations.

The exchange of blows continued. " _Come on, Ruka. Get this done for me."_ He thought. The normal joy from bloodlust was not present here. There was too much at stake now, too much to lose if he failed.

These thoughts were distracting.

A particularly powerful punch made contact with his chest, sending him flying through the air and exploding the sand around him. Instantly, the mass of Vasto Lordes were upon him. "I have no time for you." Zev said from above him. "Finish him off."

"What's the matter? Don't have the balls to finish the job yourself?" Grimmjow taunted as he sliced through Zev's mindless horde.

"I already told you. I don't like to waste my time on Aizen's failed experiments. It's beneath me." He scoffed.

"I will kill you!" Grimmjow snarled as he continued to fight, his eyes searching for any of his brethren, but the vast majority was either dead or fleeing for their lives. " _I can't die here."_ He thought desperately. " _I can't leave her to this shit._ "

He barely noticed the rumblings beneath his feet; or at least not until the sands themselves were shifting. The roar that followed had him smirking. Instantly, a third of Zev's army was swallowed up by the forming Runuganga.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Grimmjow cackled as the giant guardian revealed himself.

Zev scowled, "I see you have broken free from my trap, Runuganga."

"Traitor, I will end you." The giant sand guardian roared before slamming itself upon Zev's massive army, swallowing them up.

"My, my, what an interesting predicament you've gotten yourself into, Grimmjow-san." A familiar sneaky tone mentioned from behind Grimmjow. He turned, instantly annoyed by a wide-brimmed hat and obnoxious clogs.

"Why am I not surprised?" He scoffed. "Ruka said you couldn't make a garganta for another six months." He mentioned as he watched Runuganga consume Zev's minions like water in a dry desert.

"I've been doing a bit of research while you two were away. It went particularly well if I do say so myself." Urahara mentioned proudly while propping his cane up on his shoulder.

"Oi, Kisuke!" Another voice interrupted the two, this one unfamiliar to Grimmjow.

"Yoruichi-san, I believe our target is that one there." Urahara pointed his cane to the grimacing ex-Espada who stood on the remaining battlements.

"Perfect." She smiled wide before disappearing in a flash of shunpo, only to reappear when she was sending a powerful kick into Zev's side.

"Grimmjow-sama, I believe you should go to Akiyama-san's aid. We will clean up this mess." Urahara mentioned before unsheathing his zanpakuto.

Grimmjow's jaw clenched. Part of him wanted to stay, wanted to watch Zev's last pained breath as he ripped the asshole's heart out. But then he felt it again, the frantic pulse of the familiar Bankai deep within the palace walls. He nodded once, the movement forced, before sprinting away in a blast of sonido and towards Haruka.


	9. Chapter 8

_/* I know it's been a while (so sorry for that!) but I am still working on this. Life has gotten in the way as it tends to, but I am still trying to finish this even though I'm not 100% happy with it. Hope you enjoy! I hope to be able to put out the next chapter relatively soon if things continue to go my way. Thanks for your patience! */_

* * *

Chapter 8 -

Their reiatsu was strange and foreign. It was a distortion that even in her blind, hypersensitive state, she was having a hard time keeping track of. Still she fought vigorously, changing her realm to her advantage. Nel stood far off, watching the mutated Arrancars attempt to down the purple-haired Shinigami. Haruka was relieved at that at least. She needed more time to think about how she was going to rid this infection from them.

"Nel, you must stop this." Haruka demanded as she sliced through yet another mutated Arrancar. Her enhanced sight of reiatsu helped her tremendously with finding the weak points of these things. Wherever their armor was the hardest was where they gave off the most spirit energy and wherever it was the weakest was where there was the least. She also discovered that their cavernous mouths were used to devour more than flesh.

She grimaced as one of the monsters inhaled deep, sucking in a large amount of her fabricated environment with it. It felt as if parts of her spirit were being sucked away and only added to her struggle. She had to finish these creatures off.

With no response from Nel aside from her complete passive expression, Haruka put all her attention on the rabid animals trying to consume her. She flickered away, vanishing completely only to reappear behind one. She sliced her sword down, easily penetrating into exposed flesh and causing the mutant to screech painfully before perishing. She barely considered it before moving to the next one. They could not follow her here where she was able to easily distort their environment, and as a result, completely eradicate their senses.

She felt her strength returning as each one fell, their bodies releasing her reiatsu back to her. It was almost too easy. Or at least it was up until a razor sharp weapon was bearing down behind her. She gasped as she used shunpo to dodge Nel's incoming attack, the weapon grazing her shoulder enough to draw blood.

"Nel…" Haruka whispered as she adjusted her stance. "I don't want to kill you."

Neliel said nothing. Her wrist twitched briefly as she lifted her weapon up. "Declare, Gamuza."

Haruka frowned as Nel's spiritual power erupted around her. "Don't do this, Nel."

She didn't respond as she charged, her hooves beating into the stone harshly as she appeared from the cloud and thrust Gamuza towards her enemy.

Haruka had but a moment to run her eyes along Nel's new form. A strong, but elegant torso of a horse supported Nel's human-like bodice. Silky tan hair covered the animal body while hooved-shaped hands gripped the new lance weapon pointed right at Haruka's head.

Haruka blocked, grunting as Gamuza made contact with Dairokkan. In an attempt to disorient Nel, she shifted her world harshly. It had little effect on the quick ex-Espada. With a flicker of sonido, she was upright and charging Haruka once more.

This dance dragged on. Haruka used her environment to vanish away from Nel's charging attacks, shifting the weight of objects and the effects of gravity in an attempt to penetrate her iron thick skin. The white shell seemed to only grow in the battle, slowly engulfing every inch of her. At each pass of Nel's attack, Haruka's false world was steadily crumbling. The strain was weighing on her.

"Raito o Keshimasu!" The storm of purple cascaded over Nel, consuming the half-mutated woman. When the dust cleared, she appeared only mildly scuffed. Haruka's jaw clenched. "What will you do after you kill me? You know Dondochakka and Pesche are right behind me. Will you make them suffer the same fate as you? Or will you just save them the horror and kill them instead?" She shouted.

Nel paused, her jaw visibly tightening. Haruka noticed the way her energy shifted, swirling around her defensively all of a sudden. "Would you kill those you consider to be your very family?"

The green-haired centaur did not respond as she charged again. Haruka stood her ground, Dairokkan held tightly in her grip. Iron hooves smashed into Haruka's false world, crushing the walls and damaging the realm. She breathed heavily, pouring everything she could into her Bankai. Then she shifted it.

The entire world around them evaporated, being absorbed back into Dairokkan just before Gamuza connected. A roar tore from Haruka's throat as she held the weight of the ex-Espada, her reiatsu holding the massive force in place. Then, with incredible effort, she parried and jumped. She felt as the tip of her zanpakuto dug into the skin of Nel's torso causing blood to pour to the stone.

Nel grunted before falling to one knee. She twisted Gamuza and sent it flying towards Haruka. Haruka dodged before jumping into the air once more, "Raito o Kesh-"

"No! Ruki-sama, don't hurt Nel-sama!" the burly voice of a familiar Arrancar invaded their battle. Haruka faltered, shifting her attack to the side and giving Nel an opening. She didn't hesitate.

Haruka cried out as the lance dug into her shoulder, penetrating out her back before being ripped away harshly. She stumbled while pressing her sweaty palm to the injury and gripping her zanpakuto with her unsteady arm.

"Nel-sama! Please stop this!" Pesche joined in with Dondochakka. They must had been trapped outside the realm, only gaining access when Haruka absorbed it back into her weapon.

Nel's head tilted towards her fraccion for a moment before lifting Gamuza high into the air. "Nel-sama, w-what are you doing?" Dondochakka asked as Nel turned towards them, her fist literally quivering as her attack changed target.

"Nel! Stop!" Haruka shouted, her voice guttural.

"Lanzador verde…" Even as the lance was leaving Nel's grip, Haruka could see the resistance; she could see her body literally fighting this response.

Haruka's reaction was automatic. With a few flashes of shunpo, she was in front of them. The pink swirling energy collided with Dairokkan. Haruka cried out, her shoulder screaming in pain. "You can't do this to your family!" Haruka screamed as she put every last ounce of energy into blocking the attack. "You can't give up on the people you love! You can't give up on yourself!"

"Haruka!" That fiery sapphire aura appeared suddenly, but not soon enough.

She barely heard his shout over the whirling drill that was currently digging into her zanpakuto and forcing her back. "I'm not giving up on you." Haruka muttered to herself. A pulsing began in her chest, flowing throughout her limbs and lighting her nerves on fire.

Her shout filled the room as she forced Dairokkan against the drilling lance, determined to protect Pesche and Dondochakka.

 _I'm not giving up on you, either._

The whisper exploded in the back of her mind just as the first crack formed on the blade. Then the entire thing shattered in an explosion of purple reiatsu, consuming Haruka and Gamuza.

Grimmjow watched, his entire body tense with apprehension. Pesche and Dondochakka sprinted away, hiding behind the sexta Espada. Nel's head tilted as she, too, watched the outcome of her attack. Bolts of violet lightning struck from the clouds that consumed Haruka, singeing the stone and crashing against the ceiling.

Silence followed for several minutes, the purple storm pulsing throughout the entire room and causing hair to stand straight. Then Gamuza appeared. It was tossed haphazardly from the cloud, and landed in pieces.

Nel grimaced as her power suddenly shifted and she returned to her previous form. Then the cloud slowly fell, covering the stone floor like an eerie fog. Haruka was revealed. Her violet locks were twice as long, tied in an elegant braid that fell to her feet. It twisted with a long, skinny tail resembling that of a feline. The dark lavender tattoos that marked her skin in her Bankai form were even more pronounced and flowed along every inch of her. She floated almost a foot off the ground, the stormy fog set at her feet as she simply hovered above it. Her eyes glowed with a vibrancy never seen before and they were set directly on Nel.

"I see you." She whispered. Her voice carried to every inch of the room, vibrating with energy and shifting the very core of existence. Her hand outstretched towards the shocked mutant. Fingertips spread and breath hitched. "Return."

A heart-wrenching cry erupted from Nel's lips as the purple fog encircled her, the lightning running along her skin and forcibly removing the white shell. Haruka's brow furrowed with her concentration as she eliminated the white poison from every inch of Neliel's body with a simple flexion of fingers.

"Nel-sama…" Dondochakka and Pesche watched in uncertain horror as the person they vowed to protect screamed in utter agony.

Grimmjow was much more concerned with his Shinigami, who's new form took on curious new abilities. He waited patiently as Haruka finished ripping the shell from Nel's very body with her reiatsu, leaving Nel in a panting, painful mess.

"Dondochakka, Pesche." She whispered as the final piece of that white mask shattered and revealed her tear stained eyes. "I'm so sorry."

The two Arrancars sprinted to her side, allowing her to use them to hold herself up. "Don't apologize Nel-sama. It wasn't your fault." Pesche comforted.

"We know you'd never intentionally hurt us, Nel-sama!" Dondochakka chimed in cheerily.

"Ruka." Grimmjow called to the floating entity as he approached. "Think you can do that fancy trick to the rest of this shit?" She glanced down at him and smirked.

"Return." She whispered as she outstretched both her hands. The fog spread, reaching out to every inch of the palace and reversing all that was done as if it had never happened. One by one, each egg split and released the trapped Arrancars. Eventually the one containing Halibel appeared.

"Halibel!" Grimmjow called as he saw the imposing ex-Espada appear winded but alive.

"Where is he?" Her voice was feral, borderline murderous, much to the surprise of those around.

"Out front. Two others are keeping him distracted in the meantime. We'll meet you there." He responded and Halibel took off in a fury with her fraccion close behind.

"Pesche, Dondochakka, stay here. I have some business to finish." Nel announced as she too got to her feet.

"Wait! Nel-sama, we are coming too." The two fraccion pleaded.

"But it's dangerous." She refuted.

"We don't want you to fight alone anymore, Nel-sama. We are tired of being cowards." Dondochakka cried. "We want to protect you."

Nel smiled at the two before placing a gentle palm on each of their faces. "You do protect me. Without you, I wouldn't be standing here. You know that. But now it's my turn to protect you, ok?" She urged. The two nodded, looking a bit relieved.

"Ah Nel-sama! We'll cheer for you on the sidelines!" Pesche shouted. Nel nodded before racing after Halibel. The two goofy minions hobbled after her, being sure to keep their distance.

"We should join them." Haruka's gentle voice penetrated his very bones.

"You got some new tricks." He observed as he slid quick fingers along her decorated skin. Then his wandering touch moved up to the open wound on her shoulder, carefully observing it.

"Maybe. You'll just have to figure it out." She teased with a smirk before lifting kido-covered fingers to her injury, erasing it from existence.

"Won't be hard." He snorted. She rolled her eyes and then went quiet.

"Urahara and Yoruichi-sama… I felt when they arrived." She mentioned suddenly, her mood sobering.

"Yea. Clogs can't keep his nose out of anyone's business." He scoffed.

"Good thing." She smiled and he couldn't help himself. His lips crashed against hers, his very reiatsu throwing her off balance and causing her feet to slide to the ground. He moved with her, gently guiding her until her back was pinned against the wall, his claiming of her mouth leaving her breathless. Her hands reached for his long blue hair, tugging eagerly. He grunted before pressing himself against her. The sheer power emanating from both of them set all of their nerves alight. Each touch of skin, every quick breath had them both walking a dangerous edge.

Then they felt it. It was an ominous darkness in the form of Zev's reiatsu and they knew they couldn't waste any more time.

"Let's end this." He said as he took a step back. Her eyes were set on his, her brow furrowed with determination.

" _Let's end this." His strong, but gentle voice declared. "Let's end the suffering of so many."_

 _Her eyes ran over him with scrutiny. This was different, however. This was different from back then. Back then she watched him with pure adoration; pure awe. "If only I'd had known what you truly were back then. If only I could see then what I see now."_

 _He tilted his head curiously, confusion forming on his brow. It was a look so very unfamiliar to him. "What do you mean, Haruka-chan?"_

 _She shook her thoughts away. What if this wasn't just a memory? What if this was something more? The consequences of such would be felt for centuries upon centuries in ripples that would become tsunamis. "My apologies, Aizen-sama, I was just reminiscing about the past. I'm looking forward to fighting this struggle by your side. I'm looking forward to fixing all of these mistakes."_

 _Aizen's confusion left and was replaced with that warm, menacing smile. "Come, Haruka-chan. Join me. We should begin our work."_

"Ruka?" The worrisome look on her lover's face filled her view and made her smirk.

"Sorry. I'm ready. I'm ready to end this. All of this." She said with a strong, solid voice.

A grin split his face, more akin to his nature. "Don't get in my way." He teased and she laughed.

"We'll see who gets the killing blow." She challenged before racing out towards the opening in the wall.

"Hey!" He bellowed before following, any doubt of failure completely evaporating from his spirit.

* * *

"Kiskue!" Yoruichi's strangled voice ripped across the sands as she watched her friend take a deep slash to leg. This creature was more than she could have ever anticipated. What baffled her even more was how the hell he was missed when they first invaded Hueco Mundo.

With her legendary flash step, she was upon her enemy, sending a flurry of kicks and punches into his muscular frame. Since beginning the battle, he had shed some of his clothing, revealing his gaping hollow hole set where his heart should have been. His strength was unexpected, taking all of her hits as if they were merely a nuisance.

"You cannot defeat me." He shouted as he grabbed Yoruichi's ankle and tossed her to the ground, the sheer velocity creating a huge crater in the sand.

"Yoruichi-san." Urahara's calm demeanor still couldn't hide the hard set of his jaw or the hint of worry in his tone. She knew him too well.

"Those two better get back here soon, Kisuke." She mentioned before disappearing again. Urahara's jaw clenched tighter as he followed, pointing Beneheme at their enemy and firing. Zev blocked it with the back of his wrist, his hierro shielding him from the intense heat. Urahara paused then, the wheels in his head beginning to turn.

"Zev!" A blood-curdling shout had come with perfect timing as he backed away from the battle ground to where he had kept a large sack of various items.

Moments following the screech, the ex-Espada Halibel made contact with her weapon. Zev grimaced. "I will kill that Shinigami bitch." He roared as he deflected Halibel's attack, but not without receiving a substantial gash on his arm, surprising him.

"You'll have to get through us first." Yet another joined, this time it was Neliel. She maneuvered around Halibel, their coordination a stunning dance. She sliced her weapon against his, forcing him towards the sandy ground beneath them.

"Enough of this." He spat before releasing his reiatsu in a wave towards his pursuers. In one fluid motion, he grasped the hilt of his weapon with two hands. "Block out the skies, Lechuza." The sensation of dread hit them all simultaneously as a dark ominous energy began swirling around him. Above them, a shadowy veil began consuming the sky above, blocking out the moon above before reaching out towards Zev to consume him as well.

They all watched from afar, feeling the growing power and preparing for the reveal of his transformation. It felt like time dragged on for ages, the very air warping their sense of reality, before their dread was fully realized…

* * *

Grimmjow had pulled ahead of her, his speed in his released form impossible to beat. She knew him well enough now to know he was bound and determined to keep Zev from laying a single finger on her even if he wouldn't admit it. That wouldn't deter her, however. That monster was responsible for many unspeakable horrors and she would assist in making him pay despite Grimmjow's possessive, protective nature.

They reached a clearing in front of the battlements rather quickly and it was then they finally got a look at what had caused the very skies to turn blacker than night. In the center of the clearing, flying through the air, was a transformed Zev. His arms had been replaced with long wings, decorated with raven-like feathers. They extended along his spine, a long winding pattern ending in a wispy tail that nearly reached the ground. On his head, a mask had formed, shaped into a long dangerous beak that masked his brow and curved in front of his nose. His eyes were red, almond-shaped beacons that struck fear in her almost immediately. That fear quickly manifested into action as he just as quickly switched targets.

Haruka saw his jaw twitch just before his wings kicked back and he was charging her at full speed. Everyone there was taken off guard, except for maybe the feral blue beast that blocked him from making contact. "I will end you." He shrieked just before jumping back and swiping an array of razor sharp feathers at Grimmjow and Haruka.

With a quick swipe, Grimmjow deflected the blades and charged him. He collided with a roar, the two tumbling through the air. Zev recovered, smashing an earth shattering kick to Grimmjow's side and sending him flying to the desert ground. Those dangerous red orbs lifted to Haruka once more. "You've meddled in my plans enough, Shinigami." His raspy voice cut the air, making her hair stand straight.

"You're outnumbered, Zev. You won't win this." Haruka declared as she readied for his attack.

"Naïve fools!" He shrieked as his iron-like wing collided against her. She blocked with a shield of strong reiatsu. The force of his attack sent her back through the air, though she remained strong. She pushed a hand forward, grazing it against the skin of his shoulder with a whisper.

"Inverse."

Though her voice was a whisper, it echoed across the desert like a roar. A bright purple mark appeared where she had touched, burning his skin and causing him to jump back. His pained shout followed as the mark exploded with a lavender energy burning down his wing. Slowly his wing transformed back into an arm, the feathers breaking apart. He lifted his gaze to her, breathing through clenched teeth. "You…" His voice was ragged and feral. "I will consume you and take your abilities for myself." Suddenly, his rage filled growl turned into hysterical laughing. "I will be stronger than Aizen. I will be stronger than God!"

Haruka grimaced as she watched his maniacal movements. He fought her attack, simply trying to will the negation of her time reverse.

"You ain't shit." A gruff sounding male countered before smashing into the distracted maniac. Haruka felt a bit of relief as her lover scuffled with Zev in hand to hand combat and seemingly taking the advantage. Soon the others finally were able to assist, Halibel and Nel slicing into Zev's back and weakening his hierro.

"You will not win! I will consume you all!" Zev declared, his voice clearly insane. "CONSUME!" His power suddenly shifted as bolts of darkness crashed into the desert around them like lightning in a storm. The dark, never ending cloud above them began shifting and twisting grotesquely. Soon it started dipping in several locations, like water filling a balloon. Then they started to pop.

It wouldn't end.

The sounds that came from the monsters forming from this giant cloud of hell had Haruka taking a step back. "What are those things?"

From the sky came large, hideous birds of prey. They were twice the size of Zev, with wings dripping in ichor and poisoning the ground below. From the ground where the lightning had struck, came long black tentacles, reaching for Zev's enemies in an attempt to trap them.

A pained gasp came from Haruka's right. "Yoruichi-sama!" She yelled as she witnessed several tentacles move with incredible speed to trap her. A loud screech signifying the bright red light from Beneheme cut through the constrictors that trapped her.

"We must practice caution here." Urahara shouted as Yoruichi ripped the dead flesh from her body.

"Your life sustains me." Zev's insane voice shouted just before vanishing in a flash of impressive shunpo and reappearing to connect a bone-crushing kick into Yoruichi. She yelled as she was thrown to the desert floor.

Halibel intervened, blocking Zev from continuing his attack while her fraccion began intercepting the ominous bird creatures swooping towards them. "He's taken my abilities!" Yoruichi yelled. "Don't let the tentacles touch you."

"Halibel, watch out!" Neliel shouted as she intercepted an incoming tentacle. She sliced through it, the black liquid spilling to the desert and corrupting the very sands. Almost immediately following, the roar of the creatures above caught their attention. The monsters began charging down towards Halibel and Nel. Grimmjow intercepted, mauling down the monsters with several quick swipes.

" _Those tentacles connect to him."_ Haruka thought as her companions continued their futile counter attack. " _All I need is a moment."_

" _A moment is all we need, Haruka. It's all it takes to change everything."_

 _Just a moment._

"Akiyama, don't!" Urahara's strangled cry was enough to direct everyone's attention towards her, but it didn't matter. It was too late. The moment had passed.

By the time their eyes were upon her, she was already wrapped up, so much so she was nearly unrecognizable beneath the black constrictions. "Ruka!" Grimmjow's guttural cry tore across the desert as he charged towards her.

But the moment had already passed…


	10. Chapter 9

_/*Warning: This chapter has a lemon (though if you got this far, this is nothing new). I've got one more chapter planned after this one. Thanks for sticking with it. We're almost there! Enjoy! */_

* * *

Chapter 9 -

Just where the hell was she?

She remembered bits and pieces. She remembered watching Grimmjow slash at a monstrous beast. She remembered death flying down upon them from the sky above. She remembered that constrictive grip crushing her chest just before everything went black.

And here she was now. The ground was like charcoal, crunching beneath her bare feet as she walked. The air was still and thick, so much so that it felt difficult to breathe. Smoke lingered above the ground, choking her further and causing her hand to press against her mouth in a futile attempt to block it from her lungs. Still, she continued on.

There, in the distance, was a bright orange light consuming two shadows. As she approached, the light became flames, and the shadows became human-like. She shifted her hand up so that her whole arm could protect her eyes from the searing heat of the fire. The ground beneath her toes became hotter the closer she got until her skin felt as if it was melting. Still, she approached, beckoned by the figures trapped within the flames.

Soon, the screams reached her ears. " _Elena!"_ The strangled voice of someone familiar had her pausing. It was then the human outline took shape into someone she recognized. It was Zev.

He was different, however. He looked mortal; none of his Arrancar deformities could be seen anywhere on his body. He looked younger, too, as if she had just stepped into a long forgotten memory.

"Aizen made a mistake." A low rumble caused her to jump and turn, her fist flying into a smoky resemblance of the Zev she knew now and vanishing only to reappear beside her once more. "He gave me too much of humanity back. So much so, I started to remember things from my past life."

Haruka straightened and turned to face him. Her eyes glanced once more at the screaming man in the flames before shifting quickly back to the ghostly figure standing before her. "This is a memory of when you were alive?" she questioned. "That's impossible."

"How so? Our souls may have been separated from our mortal selves, but they are not completely disconnected. There have been many examples over time of long lost lovers finding each other through different life times." He mentioned casually, his usual air of arrogance still present even in this state.

"And Naomi?" Haruka whispered as she looked to the woman who by now was collapsed on the ground, overwhelmed by the smoke and flames.

"It was like seeing Elena for the first time in eons." His tone changed and his eyes shifted to the flames again, but now they were changing. They stretched and pulled before taking a new form. They darkened to a gray stone, lining a long chamber and at the end stood a familiar face.

" _Zev-sama!"_ The woman called out as she walked down the long hallway.

"It had been my one wish. I wanted to see my Elena again, even if it was for just a moment. Aizen delivered on that wish, but not without a hefty stipulation." He explained as he moved to join her. His arms outstretched as she collided with him, his hands sliding into her hair as he clung to her.

" _Naomi-chan."_ A new figure appeared suddenly behind Naomi, causing all the hair on Haruka's skin to stand straight.

" _Aizen-sama…"_ Naomi trembled as she pulled away from Zev.

" _Come. I have some things I wish to discuss with you."_ He mentioned with that smile, that evil monstrous smile.

"You were telling the truth." Haruka breathed as she watched the memory play out.

"She belonged to him." Zev said as he remained where he was, staring at the woman he loved as she looked back longingly, her face twisted with terror. "He let me see her for short periods of time, promised if I did what he said she would one day be mine. That day never came. He used her to manipulate me, abused her, broke her…" His fists clenched with anger. "So I took her and ran. I found a place that I thought was beyond his reach. Then I put into practice everything he taught me so that one day I could end him. I wanted to destroy him for hurting her."

"And then he sent Grimmjow to punish you for leaving." Haruka stated sadly. Zev glanced back at her, nodding once. "Why do all this? Why destroy everyone and everything? Aizen is gone. You don't need to fight this war anymore."

"I promised her."

"What?"

"Her wish was that I destroy this place. She wanted me to destroy every last thing Aizen ever touched." He replied.

"You are what you are today because of Aizen." Haruka pointed out.

"I know." His eyes lifted to hers, a stern yet meaningful stare locked onto her violet eyes.

A shocked realization had her eyes widening. "You weren't…"

"Everything he touched. Everything he destroyed…" He confirmed. "We were supposed to die together so we could start over together. That is never our fate it seems. I always have to watch her die." His face strained and Haruka swore she could see his eyes watering.

"And you felt like you had to complete her wish before you could finally die." She asked pointedly.

"Her memories are tied to this wretched hell. She cannot rest until it is all gone." He ground out.

"But it is over. Aizen is no longer in control and he never will be anymore. She can move forward and this land can heal, but it needs you to move on too. Her memories are tied to you and no one else. Nothing comes from more destruction. But healing… healing everything he tried to destroy is what matters." She urged.

He remained where he was, his eyes staring out into the dark beyond. "You only say these things because you wish for me to spare him." Haruka opened her mouth to refute, but was cut off. "I don't blame you. If it was Elena, I would be doing everything in my power to protect her."

"No, this isn't about Grimmjow. This isn't about me. This is about a world you are attempting to completely destroy for a purpose that died a long time ago." She said. "Is this really what Naomi would want? Is it what Elena would want?"

She stepped closer, forcing him to look at her. "I had to cut down the man I loved because Aizen turned him into a monster. Then he cast me out like a broken sword he had no use for any longer. I had to let the man I loved go because I knew he wouldn't want me killing myself with guilt. He wouldn't want me to turn into someone like you." She said harshly and he glared at her.

"It is different when the person you love was murdered. Twice." He ground out.

"Kenji was murdered. And Aizen was the one responsible. Aizen was responsible for so many horrible things. The last thing I would want is to bring more destruction and sorrow to a world that already suffered so much at the hands of that madman." Haruka declared, the very ground she stood shaking.

Zev's jaw visibly clenched as he averted his eyes for a moment. "While I admit that you do have a substantial argument, I will not let the murderer of my lover go unpunished."

"You think Grimmjow hasn't suffered enough under the hand of Aizen? He's lucky to even be alive."

"You call it luck." Zev scoffed.

"He is lucky. He gets a chance to repent for all the horrors he's caused. What about you?" Haruka pushed.

Zev glanced at her curiously before taking several steps back. "I suppose I will have to think on it, Haruka-chan." He said calmly. "For now, why don't you relax here while I take care of some unfinished business?"

"Zev! Don't do this! Don't turn into him!" Haruka shouted as Zev's smoky form dissipated from the realm.

* * *

"Haruka!" Grimmjow's roar tore across the desert as his outstretched claw readied to strike the tentacles constricting around his lover.

"Return." Zev's distorted voice surrounded Grimmjow in strings of reiatsu, pulling his body towards the ground with unimaginable force. Zev's raucous laughter followed. "Oh this Shinigami has quite the tricks up her sleeve."

Urahara's jaw clenched as he finished preparing the devices he pulled from his supplies. "Kisuke…" Yoruichi joined his side.

"I need you to take this one to the other side and plant it within the sand without him noticing." Urahara thrust the device into Yoruichi's arms.

"Kisuke!" She said again, urging his attention.

"We don't have much time, Yoruichi-san. I'm trusting Akiyama-san can bring his awareness down enough for us to strike, but we must be quick." He replied as calmly as he could manage, but Yoruichi always saw right through his lackluster attitude.

"What do you mean bring his awareness down?" She questioned.

"She's always had a knack for navigating minds. I imagine she will only get better at it from here on out." He sighed before rubbing his temples. "Genryusai is not going to be happy with me about that."

Yoruichi didn't have a chance to question further as Urahara took off in a flash of shunpo with his device in hand. She grimaced before running to the opposite side of the battlefield to place her device.

As the two Shinigami were working their plan, Nel was struggling to keep Zev in his place. Halibel and her fraccion were caught up in keeping the monstrous birds and tentacles away from the fight. Grimmjow struggled against the ties of strong reishi wrapped around him. Zev slammed a strong fist into Nel, sending her flying across the vacant space and into the remains of the palace. Then he attacked his main target.

Grimmjow snarled as he put everything into freeing himself from the strands that were now digging into his heirro. Zev's arm pulled back, readying to thrust it forward into Grimmjow's chest. His eyes were wide, insane; a wide grin deformed his face. And then he stopped, inches from Grimmjow's very heart. His grin instantly fell to a frown and he glanced up at Haruka.

He snarled. "Get out of my head!" He shouted at an unconscious Haruka. He stormed over to her, wrapping his fist around her throat and pulling her from the tentacles with one vicious tear.

Haruka gasped as she was instantly pulled back into her own mind. Her fists wrapped around his wrist as she struggled. "Z-Zev…" She attempted to breathe, but he had her throat clenched shut.

"You know nothing, Haruka." He declared angrily.

"You love her…" She managed to choke out and his lips lifted, revealing teeth before throwing Haruka into the sands.

"What's your point?" He asked as she shifted back on her elbows, coughing and sputtering. Grimmjow struggled harder, the constrictions starting to rip.

"You need to move on and stop this pointless plot for revenge." She yelled on a hoarse voice.

"I'll never stop."

Haruka's brow furrowed with sadness at his declaration. "Then we will just have to stop you."

Upon the last word leaving her lips, Grimmjow collided with the distracted Espada. He managed to slice up along his back, his claws digging in. Zev grunted before using shunpo to escape the attack. Blood poured down his back, drenching his legs and feet.

"Now, Yoruichi-sama!" Urahara shouted before pressing a release on the large box and then sprinting back. Yoruichi did the same, meeting up with Urahara to watch as the device exploded around Zev, freezing him in place.

Zev grimaced before shouting at the group. "I will end all of you!" He declared. The electric constrictions buzzed around his limbs and torso painfully.

"No, I'm afraid you won't." Halibel interjected as she landed before him. Grimmjow twitched, realizing what she was about to do, but then paused upon seeing Haruka's face. It was somber, frozen like stone with wet tears streaming down her cheeks. He clenched his jaw and fists briefly, attempting to reign in his rage at not being able to finish this himself. But he knew there was something much more important he had to take care of. Zev did not matter at all.

He approached leisurely, sitting beside her as she watched with intensity as Halibel's sword penetrated his heart. Zev's head tilted towards Haruka, his mouth slipping open, but nothing came out but a trickle of blood. Grimmjow heard the stifled horror-filled gasp that tried to leave her lips. He slipped his hand over hers, squeezing gently.

"Go find her, Zev." She whispered, swallowing down the sorrow she felt and averting her gaze to the sky. Little by little the blackness disappeared. Each tentacle and bird creature broke apart into a cloud of ash. Finally, each one of Zev's remaining minions collapsed, their masks breaking and revealing the hollows they were once before. And then finally, Zev's mangled corpse was the last to crumble into the winds.

Everything was still once more.

"Well that was quite an interesting experience." Urahara mentioned as he approached Grimmjow and Haruka. "My my, Akiyama-san, you look like you need some rest."

Haruka looked up at Urahara, her face still solemn. "It's been a long day."

A small smile pulled at Urahara's lips. "I can imagine."

"You are all welcome to rest and recover here at the palace; or what's left of it anyway." Halibel offered as she, too, approached the group.

"Yay! A slumber party!" Nel shouted with excitement from the wall of the palace, only then just managing to pull herself from the rubble with the help of her fraccion.

"Oooh a slumber party!? That sounds like fun!" Dondachakka joined in.

"Hey hey, I have some good ghost stories I can tell." Pesche offered.

"Don't you think we should be getting back, Kiskue?" Yoruichi butted in.

"My, my, Yoruichi-san! Why are you in such a rush!? I'm exhausted, you look exhausted, we all could use a good night's rest before navigating our way through a garganta, don't you think?" He winked casually.

"Uh huh." Yoruichi pressed her hands to her hips and smirked. "Whatever you say, _Urahara-san_."

Urahara smirked back before bringing his attention to the group. "We accept your humble invitation, Halibel-san. Maybe we can even assist in cleaning things up a bit. I'm sure I brought something along that could be useful." He mumbled before pulling at his sack of mysterious goods.

The group slowly separated, meandering their way back to the palace. "I'm assuming you've got her handled?" Halibel asked with a raised brow.

Grimmjow scoffed before waving her off obnoxiously. She rolled her eyes before continuing into their broken down remains of a home.

"Come on, Kitten." He urged before standing. "I think I've got a place you can relax a bit. If it's still standing, that is."

Haruka pushed herself up, the aches and pains finally showing their existence after all the adrenaline had settled.

Grimmjow huffed teasingly before crouching in front of her. "Come on." He said, guiding her to climb on his back.

"I can walk." She replied defensively.

He rolled his eyes. "Just get on, Ruka."

She was too exhausted to argue. Instead she climbed on his back, his arms sliding around her thighs as hers slid around his neck. Her eyes trained over to Zev's last place of existence before turning back and nuzzling into his neck and sighing.

He tightened his grip on her thighs before taking off in a blast of sonido to his destination. It took only seconds to arrive, and much to his surprise the structure was still standing. He slowly released her down, steadying her on her feet before pushing open the door.

"What is this?" She asked while following through the large wooden doors and into the stone structure.

"Bath house." He replied. "Figured you were sick of being covered in sand, blood, and dirt." He shrugged while moving along the many intricate pools. Some where surrounded by sheer drapes for lackluster privacy, but most were open for all to see.

"I didn't realize Arrancars bathed." She teased.

"Still doesn't scare you away, does it?" He countered. Then his face grew more serious. "This was Aizen's."

" _Destroy everything he touched."_ Haruka felt her breath catch as the memory nearly consumed her. She shook it away, but not before he had noticed.

"You alright, Kitten?" He asked as he approached her once more. His hands slid to her arms, her previous form no longer adorning her skin with tattoos.

She looked up at him attempting to find a confident smile. "I will be."

He nodded before his fingers began trailing up her shoulders, hooking around the tatters of cloth and tugging what remained free. Her face tilted down timidly before he caught it with his finger, pressing it up so that his lips could press against hers. She melted into it, her breath catching and her lips parting. He took the opportunity to slide an eager tongue against hers, claiming her mouth entirely.

The motions that followed were fluid. As the last barrier of cloth hit the stone floor at her feet, she was being lifted into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms around his neck. Their lips never parted as he carried her into the nearest bath.

Slowly the warm embrace of water was wrapping around her legs. She sighed as he lowered her further, until her back was pressing against the stone wall. Her head tilted back as her eyelids slid shut. His lips found their way to her neck, pressing hungry kisses to every inch of skin.

"Grimmjow…" She whispered as she felt his hardened erection pressing against her core. The blazing heat of him made the water feel almost chilled in comparison. His movements became needier, his desires plaguing his mind. With one swift motion, he lifted her out of the water to sit her on the side. Rivulets ran down her curves and dripped back into bath. Her feet still dipped into the welcoming liquid as he stood between her thighs. His arms wrapped around to her back to support her as he plunged himself into her wet depths. Both groaned at the sensation, an emptiness finally being filled.

She clung to him, her voice echoing throughout the bathhouse, as he buried himself into her again and again. His deliciously feverish pace had her fingernails digging into the stone. Her lips could not contain the obscene noises her throat produced from the sensations flying throughout every nerve in her body.

His hand found her hair, pushing her head up so his mouth could claim hers once more. Sharp fangs nicked at her lips, heavy gasps drowned the sounds, and strong arms kept her steady as her body simply followed his every move.

"Fuck, Kitten.. You feel so fucking good." He groaned as he continued his eager pace. Her hands moved up to his shoulders, desperate for support. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders. With his free hand, his calloused thumb found its way to that tiny bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs.

"G-grimmjow! I'm going to-" She cried out desperately as he massaged the swollen bud vigorously.

"Yes…" He urged. Her entire body tightened around him and a cry tore from her lips. He waited until her muscles were no longer spasming before he wrapped his arms around her waist and repositioned her. Her legs crashed into the water as he twisted her around, bending her over the side.

He lined himself up and thrust himself within her once more. She groaned loudly as her hands pressed into the stone to support herself. "Yes, Ruka. Fucking take it." He ground out. His tone had turned animalistic, his desires completely overtaking his thoughts.

"Fuck me, Grimmjow." She taunted and he snarled. His hands pressed into her back, pushing her against the stone as he drove into her again and again. The places he touched within her had her screaming in delight. Her fingers desperately grasped at stone, trying to hold onto something as the intensity grew. His hands slid up along her back, stopping only when his hands were on top of hers, holding them in place. He hovered over her, completely claiming her. Her neck craned up and to the side as his tilted down, their lips and tongues meeting in an urgent, desire-filled kiss.

Grimmjow broke this kiss and pushed himself up as he approached that edge. He groaned as his hands moved to her hips, pulling her towards him as he pushed in. She squealed at the intensity, but he didn't back down. "Take it for me, Kitten." He cooed.

"Grimmjow!" He felt as she tightened around him again and it sent him over the edge. His thrusts came in quick sporadic jolts as he came within her, his moans echoing across the bathhouse.

His arms came down on either side of her, his breathing heavy. She, too, was heaving, her body trembling from the aftershocks. He dipped his head down and nuzzled into her neck. "Now can I take a bath?" She teased and he smirked. His hand came smacking down on her vulnerable ass. "Ow, hey!" She squealed and he chuckled. He pushed himself off of her, sliding into the warm embrace of the water.

He leaned so that his back pressed against the rock wall. His elbows pressing into the stone floor for support. He eyed his Shinigami as she moved carefully into his presence, instinctively aware of him. He watched as she went through the motions, washing every curve, every whisper of skin, and every scar.

She slid next to him after she was finished bathing, her head finding a cozy spot on his shoulder as her fingers played across his stomach. "So what did you see in his head, anyway?" He asked outright, properly ruining the mood as he was akin to doing so well.

Her body shifted slightly, ripples of water bouncing across the surface. "His past." She answered simply.

"Anything specific?" He clarified, slightly annoyed. "You looked awfully sad for a shithead that almost killed you."

She pushed herself up, her hand pressing against his chest for support. She locked her purple gaze to his sapphire stare before sliding her opposite hand to his cheek. Then she let it fall, hitting the water with a splash. She pushed herself off of him to get out of the tub, but was stopped with his strong forearm wrapped around her midsection. His lips fell to her ear, his breath hot on her skin. "I meant what I said back there."

"Which part?" She returned unenthusiastically.

He scoffed before twisting her around, forcing her to look at him. His jaw clenched as the words got stuck at the back of his throat. His large, calloused hand cupped the side of her face almost entirely before he dipped his head and caught her lips in a chastise kiss. "The part where I said I loved you." He whispered, his voice hoarse.

She smiled before kissing him again. "I know you did. And I'm not trying to keep you in the dark about anything. It's just-" She paused before pulling away slightly. "It's just I'm still trying to sort it all out in my head."

"Then let me help you sort it out." He insisted.

"It just made me realize he was not so different from any of us. He was just another victim of Aizen. It was sad how it all happened." She said while averting her gaze.

"We all got our sad stories." He replied. "His was just too much for him."

"Yea." She nodded, though unconvinced. "Is there anywhere left we can get some sleep? I feel like I haven't slept in years."

They both dressed with whatever clothing they could find and found their way back to Grimmjow's half-demolished room. She collapsed on his pile of bedding, twisting onto her back and looking out a hole in the ceiling at the stars that dotted the sky. He followed her, crawling onto the pile of pillows and blankets like a cat before lying on his back next to her. His hand shifted to behind his head as his lids grew heavy. Haruka moved, her head finding a comfortable spot on his chest. His arm adjusted to wrap around her and hold her to him.

"Now what?" She asked, her arm draping over his torso.

"Fuck if I know." He returned half-heartedly.

She snorted. "You're such a jerk."

He grinned. "Yea, I know."

* * *

She must have underestimated just how tired she was for when her eyes finally fluttered open, he was long gone. The bedding was cool to the touch where she had left him, though she was snuggled tightly under several blankets. "Grimmjow?" She called out gently, but there was no answer; just the bitter sound of silence.

She slid herself to a stand, her bare feet coming in contact with the cool ground and sending shivers through her. Her eyes automatically searched the room, feeling bare without her weapon on her hip. "Dairokkan…" She whispered. She was now one with her weapon. She would be able to call on it effortlessly. And while she now felt complete, like a whole, she still felt as if she had lost an important piece of herself in the embodiment of her weapon.

She sighed while clenching the blanket tighter around herself. It was then she was finally able to pick up some noise coming down the hallway. "Come on, Grimm-Grimm!" Nel's obnoxious laughter echoed into the quiet space.

"I said bug off." That unmistakable grumpy voice brought an immense amount of relief, so much so it was unsettling.

"But it will be fun!"

"I said no."

Suddenly the door was swinging open, revealing the blue haired Arrancar with hands full before he sent a swift kick into the door. It slammed, leaving poor Nel to her own antics in the hallway.

"What?" He asked to Haruka's incredulous look.

"What was that about?" She questioned. She attempted to cross her arms, but it just ended up being an awkward attempt to hold her blankets in place.

"Pfft." He scoffed while placing the tray of food down next to the bed. "She's bored."

"And was looking for?" Haruka drawled.

"Fun." He remarked uncaring before taking a bite of food. He glanced at her displeased look and rolled his eyes. Then he shoved the nearest soft bread into her face.

She swatted at his hands while dodging the food. "Grimmjow!"

"Eat, grumpy. We're leaving soon."

She took the roll from his hand and grew somber. "Grimmjow?"

He grunted around a large fruit.

"Are you sure you want to come back with me?"

He tilted his head in disbelief before pulling the fruit from his lips. "What? You want us to stay here?" He questioned, confusion distorting his brow.

"No, I mean… Is this really what you want?"

"I don't give a shit where _we_ go." He emphasized again, getting his point across. She smiled small, but genuine. "Now eat." She sunk her teeth into the morsel, the food silencing her.

They cleared the plate, chasing away the famish. "Alright let's go before clogs leaves without us." He grabbed her hand, tugging her along.

She let out a quite laugh. "You sure are in a rush."

"Yea and you aren't for some fucked up reason." He returned and she laughed again.

They moved through the familiar hallways and corridors, some broken and battered, until they were walking through, what used to be, the front gate. The ground was still scorched from the fighting, the remnants of their battle triggering instant memories.

"There you two are. Yurouichi was ready to leave without you." Urahara teased.

"Yea, yea. Let's get going." Grimmjow urged.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye first?" Haruka asked.

"No." He replied plainly.

"Grimm-grimm!" The shout from their familiar Arrancar friend echoed through the battlefield.

"Fucking great." He grumbled. "Can we go now, before she tackles me to the damn ground?"

"Wait, Grimm-grimm!" She shouted as she took off in a blast of sonido.

"I kind of want to see this." Haruka mentioned.

"My thoughts exactly, Akiyama-san." Urahara joined in on a whisper.

"Nel, I said fuck off!" He growled, but it did nothing to deter her. She collided with the grumpy ex-Espada, her arms wrapping around his torso tightly as they fell to the ground. "We will miss you, Grimm-grimm!"

Grimmjow thrust himself up, throwing her from him. "Can't say the same about you." He spat.

"Is that anyway to treat the Arrancars who patched you up?" Halibel appeared practically out of nowhere to tease her former teammate.

"Pfft." He grumbled.

"Take care of him for us, Shinigami." Halibel said to Haruka. "Don't let him get himself killed."

Haruka smiled. "I'll try not to."

"She's more likely to get herself killed than me." He argued.

"Well we know you won't let that happen, right Grimmjow-san?" Urahara asked coyly.

"I'm leaving." He replied while walking towards the garganta.

"Grimmjow, wait!" Haruka laughed while chasing after him. She turned to the remaining Arrancars and waved. "Take care of yourselves!"

"Don't worry about us, Shinigami." Halibel said in return.

"Say 'hi' to Ichigo for me!" Nel shouted enthusiastically.

The remaining mutual parties said their goodbyes before heading into the garganta. The large dark chasm swallowed them up one by one and sending them hurling back to their lives in the World of the Living.


	11. Chapter 10

_/*Warning - short lemon in this chapter. Read at your own risk. Notes are at the end.*/_

* * *

Chapter 10 -

"Haruka-chan!" The bellowing voice of her employer filled the entire clinic, disturbing the several young patients waiting to be seen. Haruka sighed, her brow furrowing. In the beginning, every time her name was called on such a panicked voice, she had stopped what she was doing and sprinted to him. But now…now it was just another day at the Kurosaki-clinic.

"HARUKA-CHAN!" The shout made her cringe and her young, nervous patient squeak in fear. Her teeth clenched as she very nearly snarled.

"I'm busy with a patient!" She snapped back, her voice carrying through the privacy screens. Her eyes remained focused on the half sewn laceration she was currently trying to repair. "It's ok. He's just dramatic." She said to the young girl sitting in front of her. She gave her a big, reassuring smile. "Boys can be very dramatic."

The girl smiled back, small but it was enough. Her trembling stilled and Haruka continued stitching the wound.

"Is that any way to address your favorite employer!?" Isshin Kurosaki cried dramatically.

"No one would truly believe he was a doctor." Haruka grumbled as she finished the final stitch. "There we are." She finished up by bandaging the wound. "Now keep this dry for a couple of days, ok? No rough housing." She said sternly.

The girl nodded fervently. "Thank you so much!"

"Come on; let's go find your parents." Haruka took the girl's hand and began leading her to where her parents were sitting. Of course, she could never get anything done completely without an interruption.

"Haruka-chan! I need you!" Isshin demanded as he blocked the way.

Haruka's brow rose in irritation before she turned a more loving expression towards the girl. "Go back and sit with your parents. I'll be right there. The girl moved around Isshin cautiously before skipping back towards the waiting area. "Kurosaki-sensei…"

"Haruka-chan! How many times do I have to tell you!? Kurosaki-sensei makes me sound like some old decrepit physician…"

"What can I help you with?" She attempted again.

"Oh, right. There is someone here who needs to talk to you and I prefer if you got him out of my clinic as quickly as possible!" Isshin demanded.

"Someone is here to see me?" She asked with confusion. She knew it couldn't be Grimmjow. She had put her foot down after his second attempt at forcing his way into the clinic to ask her why the TV remote wasn't working. She very much doubted it was Urahara either.

"Yes, he's in my office. I will go finish up with the little girl and her family." He remarked. "Just a simple stitching?"

Haruka nodded dumbly before managing to spit out a few instructions to him. Then she moved slowly towards the opposite side of the room where Isshin's office door was firmly shut. Her hand grasped the cool handle, turning it carefully before pushing her way in. She had to swallow her surprise as her violet eyes fell to the visitor. "Ishida-sensei?"

"Akiyama-san." His voice brought back a swarm of memories that attempted to consume her, but she fought back. It was getting easier, to fight away falling into her past.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she pushed the door closed.

"Shall we sit?" His arm outstretched to a seat next to him. She hesitated for a moment, but then complied. He sat in the one beside her. "I'm here to offer you your job back."

"What?" She nearly fell from her chair. "But I thought…"

"It's been a hectic year, but I think I finally was able to straighten everything out with the authorities. Haven't you been watching the news?" Ryuken Ishida looked smug to say the least. She remembered that look all too well; the way his lips twitched ever so slightly in an attempt to stifle his pleased, ego-filled smirk.

"No, I haven't. I've been keeping busy." She half-lied. While it was true that she was keeping busy, the real reason she hadn't had a chance to watch the TV was because of the blue-haired beast hogging it all to himself. And he hated the news.

"The Yamazaki clan has been charged with several serious crimes. It has come to light the very many _evil_ activities Noboru Yamazaki was involved with and the effort by the authorities to catch his murderer has shifted to the other family members and rivals." Ryuken explained.

"So that's it? I'm off the hook?" She questioned in disbelief.

"So it would seem; you and your… companion." He spat out indignantly.

While at first excitement had lit up her face at the opportunity to go back to working in the emergency department, the reality of it started sinking in. "I'm going to need some time to think about it, Ishida-sen-"

"Haruka…" His large palm fell to her forearm, forcing her gaze to meet his. "While I do not agree with many of the decisions you have made in recent years, I recognize that it is not my place to judge you for them." Her eyes shifted to the side, showing her shame. "That and I blame all of it wholeheartedly on Urahara."

That caused her to roll her eyes. "Urahara had nothing to do with any decision I've made."

"No, you're right. Him dropping an unruly creature in your apartment had no influence on any event that has transpired since." He drawled.

"Ishida-san, I'm not going to let you talk about Grimmjow like he's some stray pet that should have been put down. He's done more for me than most and I don't really care if you believe that or not. The point is, he's in my life now and if that's going to be a problem then you can just forget about me accepting my job back." She stood up from her seat and began moving towards the door, only stopping when Ryuken grabbed her arm firmly.

"Like I said, Haruka, I make no judgements on your choices now. While I believe Urahara is the cause, it is you who is responsible for anything from here on out. That said I believe you are a very talented nurse and I would like it very much if you would return to the hospital. Your personal life is yours and I won't interject my opinions on it anymore."

"Thank you Ishida-san, but I'm going to need some time to think about it. I'll be in touch." She repeated before pulling herself free from him. "You know your way out, right?"

He sighed before standing. "Yes. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you."

"As professional as ever." She smirked.

"Someone has to be the picture of professionalism in this town. You well know Isshin is incapable of it." He remarked and she laughed.

"You got me there."

"I'll see you soon, Haruka." He said quietly before he moved around her and made his way to the exit.

"Are you done harassing my staff, Ishida?" Isshin growled.

"The only one harassing anyone here is you, _Kurosaki_." He replied. "Why don't you go tend to your patients? God knows it's the only thing you're good at."

"Why don't you come here and say that, you no good pompous-"

Haruka shook her head and sighed. _Back to work._

* * *

"Is that all you got!?" He grinned as the red-haired Shinigami tumbled across the desert floor. "Tch, tell Clogs this ain't even a challenge!"

"Bastard." Renji growled. "Take this! Howl, Zabimaru!"

Grimmjow blocked the incoming attack with his forearm before slicing his free arm up in between the separated blades to slice them apart.

"Come on, Renji. What was that?" The boy shouted from the sidelines. Clogs' little minions were annoying at best, but it was all a part of the deal. They had to make sure he didn't kill anyone by accident.

"Shut up you little twerp! You aren't helping!" Renji shouted.

"Who you calling a twerp, you freeloader!?" Jinta yelled back.

"Oi, you two done yet?" Grimmjow attempted, but the two continued to argue until Jinta smashed his bat into the back of Renji's head. Grimmjow rolled his eyes before making his way towards the staircase that led to the shop, tired of all this nonsense.

"Master!" His gigai greeted him enthusiastically.

"What time is it?" He questioned as he entered the store front and headed for the door.

"By my calculations, she should be arriving in…"

"Hey guys." That warm, beautiful voice greeted them just as he slid the door open. "Work hard today?"

"…now." Crey responded. "Akiyama-sama!"

"Hey." Grimmjow moved to where she stood, brushing a thumb across her cheek. She was tense. He could tell in the way she stood; in the way her reishi hummed with uncertainty. He could always tell when she had something on her mind. "What happened?"

She looked up at him with a bit of surprise, which baffled him as to why. How many times did he have to point out the obvious before she realized she sucked at hiding her emotions? "I'll talk to you about it later." She mentioned as her eyes shifted to the shop and, more specifically, to where the shop keeper usually lingered.

Grimmjow shrugged as he pulled his mod soul dispenser from his pocket. "Let's go, Crey."

"Yes, Master!"

Within seconds, Grimmjow was back in his gigai, stretching and adjusting to the new confinements yet again. "Let's go home." He said to her as he began walking towards her car. She nodded before following.

"Just a moment, Grimmjow-san!" A familiar cocky tone announced from the shop. "Don't you want your pay?"

"She'll take it." He pointed his thumb to the purple-haired woman who outstretched her hand.

"Thanks, Urahara-san." Haruka smiled.

"You're very welcome. I'll see you next week."

"Yea, yea. Tell the red-head to learn how to fight by then." Grimmjow waved absentmindedly while continuing his way to the car.

"I will see what I can do. I appreciate your assistance as always." Urahara schmoozed.

"Goodbye Urahara-san." Haruka smiled and Urahara winked before they both went their separate ways.

In the car, Haruka finally felt like she could breathe. She always felt a wave of relief when the day was finally over, but more so when she was in his presence. "So what happened?" He questioned almost immediately.

She smirked at his persistence. "So pushy." She teased. He grumbled quietly to himself, only causing her more amusement. "Ryuken Ishida visited the clinic today."

This caused an audible snarl to lift his lips. "What the fuck did he want?"

Haruka sighed. "He offered me my job back."

Grimmjow's attitude simmered as he glanced over at her. Her eyes were fixated on the road, more as an avoidance tactic than actual good driving practice. "And you said…?" His impatience had her eyes rolling.

"I said I had to think about it."

"Tch. What's there to think about?" He questioned. "Just say yes."

That got her full attention. She shot him a quick surprised glance. "Did I hear you right?"

"Probably." He retorted.

A disbelieving laugh left her lips before she responded, "you think I should go back to working the ER?"

"Listen, Kitten, you were meant for more than just patching up little kids' scraped knees. You're good at saving lives so that's what you should be trying to do." He said; a hint of admiration in his voice though he tried to disguise it.

A small smile pulled at her lips for a moment before she thought up her smart ass retort as she was akin to doing, "you just want to get me away from Ichigo."

"Tch. Like I'd be worried about that. I'd be shocked if Kurosaki could even find his dick let alone know what to do with it."

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! That is mean!"

"Oh please, it's true and you know it."

She laughed at his obnoxiousness. "You're such a jerk."

"You ain't tellin' me nothin' I don't already know, sweetheart."

She shook her head, her eyes refocusing on their drive. "So, you really think I should?"

* * *

The sensation of a strong, calloused hand moving over her side to wrap around her midsection had her stirring from her slumber. She felt his nose nuzzle into her ear as his lips found the bare skin of her neck to press against. She let a quiet moan fall from her lips as his body became flush with hers. "What time is it?" Her tiredness made her voice hoarse.

"Who cares?" He whispered as his grip on her tightened. She only smiled as she twisted herself in his arms so she could face him. She was able to glance out the window, seeing the moon high in the sky and realizing it was still the middle of the night.

"Feeling lonely?" She teased.

"Feeling you." He retorted before claiming her lips with his own. Their tongues tangled together in a game of dominance. It was one she rarely won.

They broke apart as he twisted her around, pinning her face down in the bed. It sent a thrill through her, when he was eager to claim what was his. She gasped as his hardened erection pushed into her effortlessly. His hands slid up along her arms and stopped at her wrists. He held her in place as he slid himself into her, groaning with relieved pleasure. She, too, moaned as he buried himself within her. "Grimmjow…"

"Damn, Kitten, I've been craving you all night." He sighed.

"I'm shocked you waited this long." She teased, earning a slap on the ass. She shrieked out a laugh, "Hey!"

His head tilted forward until it was nuzzling into her neck, his lips nearing her ear. "You seemed tired. I wanted to let you rest for a bit." He rationalized before sliding out of her and thrusting back in eagerly.

"How kind of you." She giggled as her hands fisted into the sheets, preparing for the overwhelming intensity of the oncoming sensations. "Oh fuck…" She moaned as he quickened his pace. Her face buried into her pillow, attempting to muffle her screams into anything she could reach at that point.

"Fuck, Haruka. I couldn't wait to get you all to myself." He groaned into her ear as he thrusted into her. His hand slid to her face, tilting it up so that he could claim her lips with his own.

"I'm all yours." She replied. His head dipped so that his forehead pressed against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her body to hold her to him.

"All fucking mine." He whispered as he continued his brutal pace. One free hand slid down her stomach until his fingers were buried in a nest of curls.

"Grimmjow!' She shrieked as his fingers pressed further, finding that hardened bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. He had her completely at his mercy. The sheets strained in her hold as the intensity of it overwhelmed her. He continued to massage that swollen bud as he thrust into her, until she couldn't bear it any longer. "Grimmjow! I'm going to cum!" She shouted, burying her face in her pillow to stifle her scream.

"Yes, Kitten. Fuck yes." He moaned as he felt her tighten, every muscle in her body trembling with effort. His own control completely gone as he thrust into her mercilessly until he finally reached that edge with her, emptying into her."

She lay there for several minutes, attempting to gather herself, her chest heaving and her fists still clenching the sheets. Finally, the stars settled and she searched for the comfort of that warm chest once again.

She sighed while settling back in his arms. Her arm draped across his chest and her head nuzzled into the crook of his shoulder. She heard him sigh and it caused her to glance up. Even in the dark she could read the uncertainty on his face. Before she could even question it, he spoke. "Hey Kitten…"

"Yea?"

"Let's not ever fuck this up." He mentioned and she smiled sadly.

Her hand moved up to his face, caressing his cheek lovingly. "Okay."

* * *

"Good morning, Akiyama-san!" Urahara exclaimed upon seeing her enter his shop.

"Good morning." She replied with a friendly smile.

"Where is your partner in crime today?" He teased.

"Like he'd want to come here on his day off." She smirked.

"I was under the impression he never let you out of his sight." He continued to prod.

"I imagine he only gives you that impression so you'll get off his back." She responded with a smile.

Urahara chuckled. "You are getting wittier the longer you live with him. I'm not sure I like this new side of you."

"You just don't like having to think up more comebacks than usual." She countered.

"Ah, Akiyama-san, you know that's never been an issue for me. But now, on to more pressing matters! What can I do for you today?"

"Just want to get the gigai checked out. It has been a while." She mentioned sheepishly.

"Ah yes! We are overdue aren't we? Alright then. Out you go." Urahara stamped her forehead with his cane, instantly removing her from her gigai.

"Be careful with it!" She demanded as Urahara picked it up and began carrying it to the back rooms. He glanced at her curiously and noticed her immediate withdrawal.

"Is there something I should know?" He asked genuinely.

"No. I just, well, you know how careless Mimi is…It's just a habit…" She stammered out.

"I see." He hummed. "Come with me, Akiyama-san. I want to discuss some things with you."

Haruka went rigid as she never liked what Urahara wanted to _discuss_. Even the mildest of topics would topple into uncomfortable territory with him. Regardless, she followed her friend into the back rooms.

He hooked the gigai up to multiple devices, taking measurements and making observations. "Have you thought about what we discussed last time?"

"Have I thought about it? Yes."

"But you haven't discussed it with him, have you?"

She hesitated, a proper explanation getting caught at the back of her throat. So she opted for the easiest of answers. "…No."

Urahara frowned.

"I know what you're thinking…" She attempted to start.

"I am not trying to push you one way or the other. I am simply suggesting that hanging around in this middle ground might not be good for anyone." He interrupted.

"I thought you wanted Grimmjow in the _middle ground_ so you could use him if you needed to." She retorted quite angrily.

"As I explained before, this suppression would apply only to you and not him. If you did decide to have a child, your soul would need to stay in your gigai for the duration otherwise you'd risk the child's soul in the process. It could be reverted after the fact of course and you could continue your escapades as you do now, though I would not recommend it without proper childcare. However, as it stands now, your gigais are aging and will continue to age. They were ultimately meant for long term, _realistic_ use for Shinigami in the World of the Living. It would look awfully strange for you two to look the same way twenty years from now."

"With all of that said, your clock is ticking. Having a child with a hollow is very much impossible. However, with his soul in that gigai…"

"I know." She cut him off. "I think it is way too soon to be discussing this."

"You were the one to bring it up originally." He countered and she grimaced.

"Yea I don't know what I was thinking."

"Well at least the birth control we have set up is working, right?" He laughed sardonically.

"Are you done yet?" She snapped.

"Haruka-chan…"

"There you go again-" She huffed.

He lifted his hands up defensively. "I simply want what will make you happy."

"Why?"

"Because you've never really had the chance. You aren't the first person I've made this offer to. Isshin Kurosaki made a similar decision and he was able to have his family."

"Yea and his wife ended up eaten by a Hollow and his son dragged into the politics of Soul Society." She bellowed. "I mean really Urahara! Grimmjow and I would make terrible parents!"

"Says you." She literally shrieked in surprise at the response from the man standing behind her. How did she not sense him?

"Grimmjow!? What are you doing here?" She stammered nervously while Urahara tried wildly to hide his enormous grin.

"Looking for you." He replied. "Good to see you discussing with Clogs things you should be talking to me about."

He was pissed. She could tell by the way his reiatsu pulsed. But really, he had no reason to be…

"I was talking to him about things that relate to my gigai so it involves him more than it involves you." She retorted. Urahara visible cringed as he backed further away from the oncoming storm. "Thanks for eavesdropping by the way. That was totally appropriate."

His jaw clenched. Of course he realized he caught her on the defensive. It was pretty much the only time she attempted to cheap shot him with words. He had long since caught onto her tactics, though, and he wasn't falling for it. "Well when you're shouting about it loud enough for the entire block to hear, you can't really blame me for hearing it."

Her face flushed bright red and it was enough of a victory for him. "I need to go get some air." She announced suddenly while pushing her way through and leaving her gigai behind. To her complete shock, no one attempted to stop her.

She burst out into the alleyway, finding it quiet enough for her to take a breath and collect herself. How could she be so stupid? She let Urahara get under her skin, that sneaky little- _Meow._

The noise startled her. She looked off to the side of the alleyway where a small little tabby cat was rummaging through an old cardboard box. She approached the cat slowly, crouching down in front of it. The feline lifted its head, staring directly at Haruka even though she knew it couldn't see her.

"There you are, Lilin." The newcomer startled Haruka as he passed right through her to pick up the cat. "I've been looking all over for you."

His voice sparked something within her. It was like a memory long forgotten. His back was to her, but she knew she had heard his voice before. "You need to be more careful, Lilin."

" _You need to be more careful, Haruka."_

"It can't be." She whispered, the ache in her voice matching the one suddenly forming in her heart.

The man suddenly turned, the cat still nestled in his arms, and Haruka went numb. Both hands flew to her mouth to cover the shocked gasp that was sure to come out in a rush. There standing in front of her was a man she thought had long since been forgotten. " _Kenji!?"_

"Come on, Lilin."

" _Come on, Haruka."_

" _L_ e _t_ 's _g_ o _h_ o _m_ e _."_

Haruka thought she was going to be sick. She rushed back towards Urahara's shop, making it only a few steps before having to hunch over and heave violently. "It can't be him. It's just my imagination." She reassured herself. "It can't be him. He's dead."

" _There have been many examples over time of long lost lovers finding each other through different life times."_

"Fucking hell, Haruka, stop it!" She scolded herself. "He's gone. You've moved on. You're with the person you love now." She continued to reassure herself, yet as much as she tried to fight it, her eyes still glanced back into the alleyway searching for that intimately familiar face.

" _Haruka-chan." His voice was gentle and weak. The young woman with long violet hair and equally vibrant eyes did not look at him, couldn't look at him._

No, this isn't right!

" _Yes?" She returned while continuing her work. As a member of squad four, she was often talked down to. Here was different. She was chosen single handedly by L_ _-_ _, TRAITOR, to assist in his work. This would be for the good of all of soul society. That was what he had told her and she believed it_ _wholeheartedly_ _stupidly! She believed in him with everything she was._

" _It hurts today." He had become so fragile. Each day that [HE]_ _called upon her to heal his injuries, he seemed a little closer to death. It was heartbreaking. This man, whom she was destined to be with for the_ _ **rest of her life**_ _, was dying and she couldn't help him. But she had to do what_ _[HE]_ _told her. He was all that mattered._

 _A painful grunt caused her to look up at him. His face was bright. It always seemed to glow when she was in his presence. Maybe that was why she just couldn't look at him anymore._

" _I'm sorry. I'll try to ease the pain." She soothed while looking away._

" _I love you, Haruka-chan." He returned._

Kenji…

" _We'll see each other again someday…"_

Did he really say that? Was that how it happened?

" _We will see each other again one day…" She whispered. "I love you, Kenji."_

She swallowed the agonizing scream that attempted to tear from her throat as she pulled at her hair. When she was back in her reality, she realized she was still in the alleyway. Tears had drenched her cheeks and her entire body was shaking. "It's not possible." She whispered. "It's not fucking possible."

It took her several more minutes to work up the courage to go back into the Urahara shop. She wiped away any stray tears and composed herself as best she could. She found her way to the back room once again where Urahara was finishing up his testing on the gigai and Grimmjow was lounging against the wall.

"Welcome back, Akiyama-san! I'm just about finished now." The former said. She nodded, unable to find her voice still. It drew immediate attention, specifically from the Arrancar against the wall whose brow was furrowed with concerned curiosity, though his assumptions would be incorrect.

She attempted to correct the situation. "The sooner the better." She said casually. They weren't buying it.

"Are you alright?" Urahara asked outright. "It was not my intention to upset you. I just wanted you to realize that if it is really your plan to live here in the World of the Living as a human, you should consider what comes along with that."

"I'm fine. It's just… Urahara-san, I can barely take care of myself, let alone a child." She admitted outright. "I'm happy right now with how things are. I don't want to ruin it." The meaning of that declaration stretched far beyond family.

"I understand." He responded.

She saw Grimmjow tense uncomfortably before pushing himself off the wall. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"Home." He answered simply.

Before either of them could even fathom a response, he was already gone. "My my." Urahara sighed. "This certainly was not my intention."

"Can we just leave it at that then? Please?" Haruka asked angrily. "I have managed to screw my life up many many times without your assistance Urahara-san. Can I just try and enjoy what I have now before it's taken away yet again?"

Her pain twisted her features and Urahara hesitated. "Haruka-chan…"

"Don't. I'm done with this now. Please just finish with my gigai so I can try and fix this mess." She pleaded.

"Alright." He relented before removing the various devices that were attached to the gigai. Haruka returned to her human replica and said her goodbyes.

"Akiyama-san." Urahara called before she left.

"Yes?"

"I wish you wouldn't think of your life as a constant tragedy."

Haruka's brow creased. "I don't." She said finally.

Urahara nodded unconvinced. "Good."

Haruka frowned and then left to face her annoyed Arrancar lover.

* * *

The drive back was brutal. Not only was she wrestling the nervousness in the pit of her stomach in regards to Grimmjow, but also simultaneously fighting the irrational desire to go find Kenji's doppelgänger. "Don't be stupid, Haruka." She scolded herself. "Kenji died. Even if his soul was in that body, which doesn't make any sense, but even if it was, he wouldn't remember me." She rationalized. "I shouldn't even be entertaining this!"

Before she knew it, she was pulling into her parking spot at the apartment complex. "What the hell do I say to him?"

After contemplating for several minutes with no valid results, she gave in and made her way up to that familiar door. She had expected him to be on the couch, watching TV and giving her the cold shoulder. But he wasn't. He wasn't raiding the fridge. He wasn't napping on the bed. He wasn't anywhere. It made her incredibly sad.

She went through the motions of her routine, prepping for dinner, taking a shower, cleaning up a few things. When that was all finished and he still wasn't home, she was starting to get worried. "Is he really that upset?" She questioned.

Finally, she slipped out onto the emergency escape and looked around. She reached out, feeling for his reishi, which in hindsight she should have just done to begin with. She found that blue chaotic storm a few floors up on the roof.

She sighed, trying to decide if she wanted to interrupt his peace or not. Regardless, she couldn't keep pushing away this anxiety any longer. She had to talk it out with him.

She made her way up the several staircases, seeing his one leg draped over the side while the other was propped up on the ledge. His elbow pressed against his knee, supporting his slouched posture. He looked worse than grumpy. He looked disappointed.

"Hey." She said quietly.

"Hey." He returned. She moved up next to him, carefully keeping at least a little distance between them more out of instinct that an actual respect of personal space.

Her mouth felt dry, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth. How the hell did she start a conversation like this? "Do you want to talk?" She finally managed to spit out.

"Do you?" He returned condescendingly.

She sighed. "Fair enough." Silence fell between them, the air thick and tense. She could barely stand it. "It wasn't my intention-"

"Don't, Ruka." He cut her off harshly. "It ain't ever your fucking intention. Well how about this next time- you stop and think, 'hey shouldn't I include someone else in this discussion?'"

"It was about my gigai." She attempting coolly.

"Bullshit." He turned to her, his temper flaring. "That involves us and only us. If you wanted to talk to Clogs about popping out pups then you should have chosen to fuck him."

A sound rumbled from the back of her throat not unlike the growls he was akin to displaying when he was angry. It surprised him. "That's not fair and you know it. There is way more to this than 'popping out pups.' This is really the very last thing I would have ever thought you would get pissed about."

"Then why not talk to me about it first?" He shot back. "If it was so trivial, why not mention it?"

"Because I didn't think you'd care!" She shouted.

"Well I do fucking care!" As soon as he realized what he said he withdrew, turning away from her and going quiet.

She pushed down her anger, a new understanding breaking through. "Why?" She asked gently.

His brow furrowed, his face conveying very real pain. "Why do you always ask such stupid fucking questions?"

"Just indulge my stupidity, please." She spat back, insulted.

"I told you Hollows can't have kids. Hollows don't have families. That idea doesn't even simmer long enough in our minds to be a crushed dream. Yet, Aizen changed that when he turned us into Arrancars. He said we could do and be pretty much anything at the Espada level under him. Some of us believed it." He paused, sorting through his thoughts before continuing. "I always had a desire to be alone. I always knew I'd be better off alone. Even when my fraccion was killed, part of me thought it was better that way. I don't know what my life was before I became a Hollow, but I got a feeling I was alone then too. How else could I possibly be so good at it?"

"Grimmjow…" She attempted to caress his arm, but he swatted her away.

"Don't pity me, Ruka. All I'm saying is that this is the first time in my life where I'm starting to think that being alone might have just been the easier road, and not necessarily the best one. Having others relying on me might be harder, but also way more worth it. Maybe Kurosaki was right." He shrugged, attempting to appear uncaring.

She stood up and moved to stand behind him. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, snuggling into his neck. "It is worth it." She replied. His hand shifted up to press against her arms, holding her to him.

"Don't keep me out of the loop." He ordered gently.

"I won't from now on. When I think I'm ready to take the next steps, I'll talk to you first."

"I mean that for everything." He clarified. "Don't keep me out of the loop and I won't keep you out of the loop. This ain't going to last if we do that."

"I know." She replied, immediately thinking of the events that transpired earlier that day. She considered telling him. She considered the repercussions. She considered what it would actually mean for her to accept that man was really Kenji.

He could feel her go tense the moment that last word left her pretty lips. He knew there was something else she wasn't telling him. Damned if he knew, though. "What are you thinking?"

She sighed before pressing her forehead into his shoulder. "About where to go from here."

"How about the bedroom?" He asked coyly and she snorted out a chuckle.

"Lead the way."

* * *

"I'm going on my lunch break, Kurosaki-sensei!" Haruka shouted from the clinic door.

"Wait, Haruka-chan!" He attempted but she was already out the door. She knew well enough by now to be out the door before Isshin could even voice a response. Too many times prior, she had been caught working through her lunch because he had something 'urgent' that needed attending.

She couldn't indulge him today.

It had been on her mind all day, that man she had seen in the alleyway a few days prior. She tried very hard to forget about it. She tried to focus on her present, on her future, but the image of him plagued her. She had to settle this herself, less she never get his image out of her mind.

So she sprinted down the sidewalks until she managed to reach the block of Urahara's shop. There were several other houses and a few apartment complexes around. " _He has to live somewhere around here."_ She thought.

 _Meow!_

The sound startled her. Her head tilted down, seeing that little orange tabby looking up at her with huge orange eyes. "Meow!" It cried out before nuzzling its nose against her leg. Haruka squatted and pet the little cat, hearing it purr in response.

"Lilin, right?" She asked with a smile. The cat mewed while nuzzling her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Lilin!" There it was again. That voice that sent her into a nervous panic was now right in front of her. "I'm so sorry. She's usually not like this. This is the third time this week that she's gotten out. I don't know what's gotten into her."

"Oh, it's no problem." Haruka answered with a nervous smile. "She's really friendly."

"Not usually." He laughed. "She usually only takes to me. I'm kind of shocked actually." He picked up the rebellious feline who wrestled from his hold. "Lilin! What has gotten into you?" Lilin jumped from his arms to the ground and immediately began nuzzling Haruka.

Haruka giggled as she lifted the cat into her arms. "I guess I must look like someone she used to know. Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Haruka Akiyama. It's nice to meet you." She said politely as she outstretched her hand.

The man smiled while taking it. "Koji Matsuoka."

"If you'd like, I can walk with you back to your home. Maybe she won't give you such a hard time." She offered.

Koji nodded. "Yea, I think that's a good idea." His smile was so familiar. It was warm and accepting and one she thought she'd never see again. It was as if she was being transported back in time; to a time where everything was absolutely perfect.

"Here it is." He said, pulling her from her memories.

Haruka took note of the small home nestled on the street corner. "I like your home." She mentioned dumbly.

Koji smirked, noticing her stumble. "Thanks. It's not mine. I rent the downstairs apartment." He said as he opened the gate and led her to the side door.

"Oh, you live alone?" She continued, cringing at her own intrusive questions.

"Well sort of. Lilin keeps me company." He said while giving the cat a loving pet while it still sat comfortably in Haruka's arms. He opened the door and led her in. "Can I get you some tea?"

"Oh no, thank you. I have to be getting back to work. I'm on my lunch break." She mentioned.

"Oh I'm sorry. I hope we didn't take up all of your time." He apologized.

"Oh no please. It's absolutely fine. Usually it's a lonely lunch break. It was nice getting to meet someone new for a change." She stuttered out.

"Well can I get you something to eat before you go? I prepared some rice cakes before Lilin got out. I have more than enough." He offered.

"Oh I couldn't…" Haruka replied, a hint of a blush crawling on her cheeks.

"Please. It's the least I can offer for helping Lilin." He urged.

"Um, well ok sure. Thank you." She took a seat at his small kitchen table as he placed the food before her. Her eyes kept training to his face. Everything was just as she remembered from the small wrinkles at the corners of his eyes to smooth cheekbones and bright smile.

"So where do you work?" He asked as he sat across from her.

Haruka shook away her distraction. "The Kurosaki clinic." She answered before taking a bite.

"Oh I think I've walked by there a few times. It's a pretty noisy place." He mentioned.

"Yes…I get that." She affirmed.

"So what do you do there?" He continued.

"Oh, I'm a nurse. I assist Dr. Kurosaki." She answered. "What about you?"

"I just started as a teacher at the Kurakura High School. I teach history."

"Really? Are you new here?" She asked.

"Yes, actually. I just moved in last month once I got my job offer. It's been really interesting. This town…it's a little different than I'm used to."

Haruka snorted. "You have no idea."

"Oh?" His brow lifted, eying her curiously.

"I mean, yes it's definitely different. I've only been here for two years and I'm still adjusting." She stumbled over her words.

"Oh yea? Well maybe you could show me around then." He smiled at here, causing her heart to flutter.

"I'd love to." She answered, her mind in a haze and not even realizing what she was actually committing to.

 _*ring* *ring*_ The noise caused her to jump as her scrub pocket vibrated. She pulled out her phone and nearly groaned when she saw who it was. "Hello?"

" _Haruka-chan! Where are you!? I need you back right now!"_ The voice on the other line exclaimed.

Haruka sighed. "Alright, Kurosaki-sensai. I'm on my way back now."

" _Hurry!"_

She hung up the phone roughly. "I'm so sorry about that."

"No worries. But now that you have it out, here." He reached out and grabbed her phone. "Let me give you my number."

"Oh right."

"Just send me a message when you have time so I can save your number." He smiled before returning her phone. "It was nice meeting you, Akiyama-san."

"Yes, you as well. I hope to see you again soon." She replied with an equally enthusiastic smile before leaving the small little apartment in the corner house.

* * *

She couldn't help herself. The rest of the day she felt giddy. She had texted Koji shortly after returning to the clinic, eager to see a response. " _Hey, maybe we can hang out after you're done at work? You can show me where there's a good place to get something to eat."_

She smiled at first, but then a guilt-consuming thought came over her. _Grimmjow…_

" _Hey! I would love to, but I have a lot of errands to run tonight. Can we plan something for the weekend?"_ She texted back.

 _What are you doing, Haruka?_ She thought to herself.

" _Sure, is Saturday good for you?"_

She held the phone, staring at the words indecisively. "I shouldn't be doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Gah!" She shrieked while stuffing her phone away. "Ichigo!? What are you doing here?"

A wily little smirk tugged at his lips. "What are you hiding?" He reached around, attempting to pull her phone from her pocket.

"Stop it! It's none of your business!" She fought back, grabbing his wrists to block him.

He broke free effortlessly, twisting around her and swiping her phone instantly. " _When did he get so fast!?"_ She thought.

"Who's Koji?" He waved the phone in front of her, his question accusatory.

"No one." She snapped while snatching her phone back. "And that is an invasion of privacy."

"Does Grimmjow know about him?" He asked, completely bypassing her concern.

"It's none of your business."

"I'll take that as a no." He crossed his arms, a smug little expression forming on his face. "Just some advice, Haruka, you might want to be careful about the friends you keep. Grimmjow isn't exactly a nice guy."

"I'm going to tell him." Haruka snapped back. "I just…I just haven't figured out how yet."

"Figure out how? What? Are you breaking up with him? Because if that's the case you are going to need a lot of backup." Ichigo mused.

"No! I'm not breaking up with him! I meant I was going to tell him about Koji." She refuted.

"Well if he's just a friend, then no big deal right? I mean, you and I are friends aren't we?"

Haruka didn't answer.

"Haruka?"

"It's complicated, Ichigo." She said as she stood up, making her way to the door.

"Haruka…"

She didn't respond. She continued out of the clinic, her shift over for the day. She got in her car and drove. She drove and drove and drove until her car was nearly out of gas. And still she didn't have the answers. Regardless, she still ended up back at her apartment, still climbing those familiar stairs, and still pushing open that same door.

" _Don't leave him out of the loop, Haruka."_ She thought to herself. " _Don't ruin this for some screwed up vision of the past."_

She stepped inside the apartment, her blue-haired companion standing there with his arms crossed. "Yo, you're late. Where've you been?"

"Grimmjow…" She whispered, her eyes running along his exposed skin, drinking in that imposing figure. As if in slow motion, her bag dropped to the floor as she sprinted towards him, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her face nuzzled into his shoulder as he caught her, clearly confused but still holding onto her tight. "I love you."

His arms wrapped around her tighter, breathing in her scent. "I love you too, Kitten." His voice rumbled, the words so easy to say now after accepting it for so long.

"Can we talk?" She whispered.

"Anytime."

End.

* * *

 _/* It's finally done! So sorry it took so long to get this one finished. I had it on a schedule and things just got crazy and fell apart at the end there. Thank you for your patience, support and for taking the time to read it. I do want to go back and revise it and make it better, so hopefully I can do that here and there in the future. As for future stuff with Haruka and Grimmjow, I have plenty of ideas in my head, but just need to find the time to write them. I've never been very good at writing one shots but I may give them a try. I do have at least one more story idea for these two I may attempt before moving on to other subject matter. So if you are interested in what happens further, feel free to check back every so often for updates! Hope I cleared most things up in this chapter (aside from a few small cliff hangers ;P )Thanks so much again and hope you enjoyed! */_


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